DUBAI – In a high-voltage Asia Cup Super 4 encounter at Dubai Stadium, India capitalized on Pakistan’s poor captaincy decisions and fielding lapses to chase down a 172-run target comfortably, winning by 6 wickets with just one ball to spare.
Pakistan, batting first after losing the toss, posted 171/5 in their 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan led the way with a well-crafted 58 runs, while Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz contributed 21 runs each. Despite a solid start, Pakistan faltered in the middle overs with key wickets falling at regular intervals. Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shivam Dube bowled tightly, claiming one wicket each, while India’s fielders managed to put pressure at crucial stages.
Chasing 172, India got off to a flying start as opener Abhishek Sharma smashed Shaheen Afridi for a six off the very first ball. Sharma, in brilliant form, went on to score 74 runs off just 39 balls, including 5 sixes and 6 boundaries, while his partner Shubman Gill added 47 runs. The duo’s 100+ run partnership set the perfect platform for India. Although Pakistan struck back with wickets from Haris Rauf (2/28), Faheem Ashraf, and Abrar Ahmed, it wasn’t enough. Tilak Varma finished the chase calmly, guiding India home in the 20th over.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf stood out with two wickets, but bowlers like Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed proved expensive, conceding 40 runs each without making much impact. Dropped catches and misfielding further hurt Pakistan’s chances.
India’s dominant batting display highlighted Pakistan’s inability to defend under pressure, leaving the Men in Green with questions about their bowling execution and fielding standards as the tournament progresses.
Squads
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
