Dubai, September 22: A commanding 105-run opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill helped defending champions India secure a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Asia Cup Super Four match on Sunday, marking their second win over their arch rivals in the Twenty20 tournament.
Sent in to bat first, Pakistan posted a competitive 171-5, anchored by a 72-run stand between Sahibzada Farhan (58 off 45) and Saim Ayub (21), after an early dismissal of Fakhar Zaman (15). Shivam Dube’s quick strikes removed Ayub and Farhan in successive overs, slowing the scoring in the middle overs. Unbeaten contributions from captain Salman Ali Agha (17 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (20 off 8) added 42 runs in the last three overs to push Pakistan to 171.
Chasing 172, India’s openers dominated from the outset. Sharma smashed 74 off 39 balls, including six fours and five sixes, while Gill added 47 off 28 deliveries. The duo’s 105-run partnership laid the foundation for India’s victory despite mid-innings hiccups as captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck, and both Sharma and Gill fell in quick succession. Tilak Varma (30 off 19) ensured India crossed the line, hitting a six and a four in the final two balls to seal the win with seven balls remaining.
The match was marked by heightened tensions, with no handshakes between teams and verbal exchanges between Sharma and Pakistani bowler Haris Rauf early in the chase, requiring umpire intervention.
“Obviously, we’re yet to play a perfect game but we are getting there. I think it was a great game. We batted really well… when it came to bowling, I think in the powerplay they took the game away from us,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said.
With this win, India maintains an unbeaten record against Pakistan in the tournament, while Pakistan will next face Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
