Abhishek Sharma Shines as India Beat Pakistan in Asia Cup Super Four Clash
Dubai: Abhishek Sharma’s explosive knock powered India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan in their Asia Cup Super Four match, chasing down 172 with seven balls to spare.
A blazing 105-run opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill set the tone for the defending champions, who claimed their second victory over their archrivals in this year’s tournament.
Pakistan, put in to bat first, posted 171-5 thanks to contributions from Sahibzada Farhan (58 off 45), Saim Ayub (21), and late fireworks from skipper Salman Ali Agha (17 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (20 off 8). Despite a promising 72-run stand for the second wicket, Pakistan lost momentum in the middle overs, failing to find the boundary for six consecutive overs.
India’s reply began with aggression, as Sharma smashed Shaheen Afridi for a six off the very first ball. The opener raced to his half-century in just 24 deliveries, finishing with a brilliant 74 off 39, including four boundaries and four sixes. Gill added a quickfire 47 from 28 balls before falling to Faheem Ashraf.
The chase saw some tense moments when Sharma, Gill, and captain Suryakumar Yadav (duck) departed in quick succession, with Haris Rauf (2-26) and Abrar Ahmed striking for Pakistan. However, Tilak Varma’s composed 30 off 19 guided India home in style, sealing the win with a six and a four off Shaheen Afridi in the penultimate over.
This was India’s second victory over Pakistan in the tournament, having beaten them earlier in the group stage. The result leaves Pakistan seeking their first Super Four win when they face Sri Lanka on Tuesday. India, meanwhile, will meet Bangladesh on Wednesday after their win over Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Tensions were evident throughout the match, with heated exchanges between players reflecting the lingering political strain between the two nations.
With this win, India take a big step toward securing a place in the Asia Cup final.