Asia Cup: Abhishek shines with 74 as India beat Pakistan by six wickets

Dubai, Sep 22 – Opener Abhishek Sharma played a scintillating innings of 74 off 39 balls as India secured a six-wicket win over Pakistan in a Super Fours clash of the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The victory marked India’s highest successful chase against Pakistan in T20Is, keeping the reigning world champions unbeaten in the tournament. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored for Pakistan with 58, while Faheem Ashraf contributed a late burst of 20 not out off eight balls as Pakistan posted 171/5 in their 20 overs.

India began the chase aggressively, with Abhishek hooking Shaheen Shah Afridi’s very first delivery for six, signaling a commanding intent. He combined with Shubman Gill, who struck a brisk 47 off 28 balls, to put together a match-defining 105-run opening partnership, leaving Pakistan on the back foot.

Despite a brief slowdown in scoring, Tilak Varma ensured a smooth finish with an unbeaten 30 off 19 balls, guiding India to victory with seven balls remaining. Both Varma and Hardik Pandya quietly returned to the dressing room without shaking hands with the opposition, celebrating the win.

Abhishek and Gill dominated the powerplay, hitting boundaries off Saim Ayub and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The duo extended India’s advantage with aggressive stroke play, ending the first six overs at 69/0 – the highest in the current phase of the competition.

Abhishek’s 50 came off just 24 balls with a beautifully timed cover-drive off Ayub. After a brief lull following the drinks break, Pakistan struck twice, removing Gill and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession.

Abhishek countered with more boundaries but eventually fell to a mistimed pull. With India needing 49 off 46 balls, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson kept the scoreboard moving. After Samson’s dismissal, Varma and Pandya calmly nudged the ball for boundaries to complete the chase.

Brief scores:
Pakistan: 171/5 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21; Shivam Dube 2-33, Hardik Pandya 1-29)
India: 174/4 in 18.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 74, Shubman Gill 47; Haris Rauf 2-26, Faheem Ashraf 1-31) – India won by six wickets