Dubai: “Today it was very simple, the way they were coming at us for no reason, I didn’t like it at all and this is the only way I could give medicine to them,” said Abhishek Sharma, after smashing a breathtaking 74 off 39 balls to script India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Fours clash of the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The young opener, who peppered his innings with six fours and five sixes, walked away with the Player of the Match award after leading India to their highest-ever successful T20I chase against Pakistan, achieved with seven balls to spare.
Pakistan set the stage
Pakistan posted a competitive 171/5 after being asked to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with a composed 58, while Faheem Ashraf provided late fireworks with a brisk unbeaten 20. At the halfway mark, Pakistan were flying at 91/1, but India’s bowlers pulled things back to keep the total within reach.
Salman Agha admitted afterwards that Pakistan had fallen short of a perfect performance. “We could have got 15 more runs after being 91 in 10 overs. Still, 171 was a good total. India’s batters just took the game away in the powerplay,” he said, adding that bowlers like Haris Rauf and Faheem impressed but the side needed sharper execution.
Sharma-Gill blitz breaks Pakistan
India’s reply began with fireworks. Sharma smashed the very first ball from Shaheen Afridi for six over fine leg, setting the tone. Partnering him was Shubman Gill, who matched his aggression with a fluent 47 off 28 balls. Together, they stitched a 105-run opening stand that floored Pakistan and silenced their bowling plans.
Gill briefly left the field with cramps during the drinks break, and Pakistan seized the moment, dismissing him and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession. But Sharma kept his foot on the pedal, even hammering back-to-back sixes off spinner Abrar Ahmed, before holing out at long-on.
Calm finish from Varma and Pandya
With Sharma gone, Tilak Varma (30*) and Hardik Pandya steadied the chase. They rotated the strike smartly and punished loose deliveries, making sure there were no late hiccups. India crossed the line comfortably, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Dressing room reactions
Suryakumar Yadav was full of praise for his team’s approach. “Shubman and Abhishek are fire and ice – they complement each other beautifully. The chase needed someone to bat 10-12 overs, and Abhi did exactly that,” he said. Surya also revealed a lighter side from the camp, joking about their fielding coach T Dilip’s emails to players after dropped catches. “Butterfingers – we’ll put that right,” he quipped.
On the bowling front, he backed Shivam Dube despite an off day, noting, “He’s not a robot. He’ll have a bad day someday, but the way he comes back makes us really happy.”
Sharma’s big moment
For Sharma, the innings was personal as well as professional. He spoke warmly about batting alongside Gill: “We’ve been playing together since school days. I was waiting for this kind of partnership for a long while.”
He added that the team’s backing allows him to play his high-risk, high-reward style. “It’s important for the team that I play the way I do. They’ve supported me to bat aggressively, even knowing it might not always come off,” he said.
India now march forward with momentum and an unbroken streak, while Pakistan will regroup quickly ahead of their clash against Sri Lanka.
