India stamp authority on Pakistan

Monday, 22 September 2025 02:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Get Super Four campaign off to winning start

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan celebrates his half-century

Abhishek Sharma top-scored for India with 74 off 39 balls, sharing an opening stand of 109 with Shubman Gill

DUBAI: From the time Abhishek Sharma hit the first ball from Shaheen Afridi for six, India were always in control of the run chase and won quite comfortably by six wickets in their first Super Four match of the Asia Cup against arch rivals Pakistan, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Sharma and Shubman Gill set the stage for India in the run chase for 172 with a century opening stand of 105 off 59 balls. Sharma was in spanking form, striking 6 fours and 5 sixes in his 39-ball 74, while Gill made 47 off 28 with 8 fours. The run chase was India’s highest against Pakistan in T20I cricket.

Eventually, the opening stand was broken right after the drinks break and Pakistan got a few wickets to pull things back, but the result was never in doubt. Abhishek’s innings was studded with big hits—the towering sixes over mid-wicket off Abrar Ahmed being the highlight. India once again stamped their authority on Pakistan and have begun their Super Four campaign on a winning note.

Pakistan, put into bat first, regained some of the lost ground with the last three overs going for 42, but they would have been disappointed to finish with 171 after the kind of flying start they got. Pakistan smashed 91 off the first 10 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan going great guns and taking the attack to Jasprit Bumrah, who went for 34 off his first three. Farhan (58 off 45 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) had a partnership of 72 off 49 balls with Saim Ayub (21) for the second wicket.

But the innings lost steam when Shivam Dube came in to bowl. Along with Varun Chakaravarthy, the medium-pacer did a great job of pulling things back after the halfway mark and Pakistan went without a boundary for more than six overs in that phase. India’s catching was appalling as they spilled four. The last time they put down as many in a T20I was also against Pakistan at Melbourne in the T20 World Cup 2022. – [ST]

Scores:

Pakistan 171-5 (20) (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21, Mohammad Nawaz 21, Faheem Ashraf 20*, Shivam Dube 2/33)

India 174-4 (18.5) (Abhishek Sharma 74, Shubman Gill 47, Tilak Varma 30*, Haris Rauf 2/26)