India Beats Pakistan by 6 Wickets in Super Four Thriller
In a pulsating encounter that lived up to the billing of one of cricket's fiercest rivalries, India edged out Pakistan by six wickets in a Super Four clash of the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Chasing a competitive 172, India romped home with seven balls to spare, thanks to a blistering unbeaten 74 from opener Abhishek Sharma and a solid 47 from Shubman Gill. The victory, India's second over Pakistan in eight days, not only propelled them to the top of the Super Four standings but also extended their dominant streak in T20Is against their arch-rivals to nine wins in the last ten completed games. This thriller, marked by heated exchanges and brilliant individual performances, will be etched in the memories of fans for years to come.
The match, played under the floodlights of Dubai, was more than just a game—it was a high-stakes battle amid geopolitical tensions that had already overshadowed the tournament. With India opting to bowl first after winning the toss, the stage was set for another chapter in the storied India-Pakistan saga. As the two teams walked out without their customary handshakes, the air was thick with anticipation. What unfolded was a rollercoaster of emotions, from Pakistan's promising start to India's clinical chase, culminating in a triumph that showcased the Men in Blue's depth and resilience.
Pre-Match Build-Up: Tensions and Tactical Intrigue
The lead-up to this Super Four fixture was anything but ordinary. Just a week prior, in the group stage, India had dismantled Pakistan by seven wickets, a result that still stung the Green Shirts. That victory came on the heels of heightened security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attacks and India's Operation Sindoor, which had prompted threats of boycott from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The group game itself was delayed by an hour, press conferences were skipped, and calls to remove match referee Andy Pycroft echoed through the corridors of the UAE venues.
For this rematch, emotions ran even higher. Pakistan, led by the composed Salman Ali Agha, brought in motivational speaker Dr. Raheel Karim to bolster team morale, a move that underscored the psychological pressure on the side. India, under the steady hand of Suryakumar Yadav, stuck to their winning formula but faced uncertainty with all-rounder Axar Patel nursing a head injury from the previous game against Oman. The Dubai pitch, known for its true bounce and short boundaries, promised a run-fest, but captains were wary of the dew factor that could tilt the chase in favor of the team batting second.
Tactically, India banked on their spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy to choke the middle overs, while Pakistan hoped their pace battery—spearheaded by Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf—would exploit any early swing. The absence of handshakes at the toss only amplified the frosty atmosphere, with Yadav's decision to field first drawing nods of approval from the Indian camp. As the anthems played, over 30,000 fans—predominantly Indian—created a cauldron of noise, drowning out the smaller contingent of Pakistani supporters.
India's playing XI reflected continuity: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma opened, backed by Gill at three, Yadav at four, Rinku Singh at five, and Shivam Dube as the floater. Hardik Pandya returned to bolster the all-round options, with Harshit Rana providing seam support alongside Kuldeep and Varun. Pakistan, meanwhile, shuffled their pack, bringing back Khushdil Shah and Haris Rauf while dropping Hasan Nawaz, aiming for more firepower in the death overs.
Pakistan's Innings: A Flicker of Hope Amid Slump
Pakistan's innings began with fireworks, as openers Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan set the tone against a probing Indian attack. Harshit Rana, the young pacer, opened the bowling and struck early drama when Farhan edged a loose drive, only for Abhishek Sharma to grass the catch at second slip—a rare blemish on an otherwise sharp Indian fielding unit. That drop would haunt Sharma later, but in the moment, it allowed Farhan to settle in.
Fakhar, known for his aggressive starts, wasted no time, smashing Rana for two boundaries in his first over. The left-hander's timing was impeccable, threading the ball through the off-side cordon with ease. By the end of the powerplay, Pakistan had raced to 53 for no loss, with Farhan looking ominous on 22 off 12 and Fakhar on 18 off 10. Shaheen Afridi's absence from the commentary box—he was warming up in the dressing room—seemed symbolic of Pakistan's intent to hit back hard.
However, the introduction of spin turned the screws. Kuldeep Yadav, with his deceptive googlies, entered the attack in the eighth over and immediately cramped Fakhar for room. The southpaw, attempting a sweep, top-edged to short fine leg, where Rinku Singh pouched a low catch. Fakhar departed for 25 off 16, bringing the struggling Saim Ayub to the crease. Protected from opening in this game, Ayub looked more assured, joining Farhan in a second-wicket stand that swelled to 72 runs.
Farhan, in particular, blossomed into a force of nature. Reaching his maiden T20I fifty with a flicked four off Varun Chakravarthy, he raised his bat in defiance, almost as if challenging the Indian bowlers. His 58 off 32 included seven fours and two sixes, a knock that blended calculated aggression with resilience. Ayub contributed a steady 32 off 24, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries from Hardik Pandya. For a while, it seemed Pakistan might post 180-plus, especially as the 10th over yielded 14 runs.
But Shivam Dube, India's surprise package with the ball, derailed the momentum. The medium-pacer, operating at a nagging 120 kph, denied the batters any pace to work with. In the 13th over, he castled Ayub with a slower cutter that jagged back in, leaving the youngster lbw for 32. Two balls later, Farhan, attempting to up the ante, holed out to long-on off a full toss—another Dube special. Pakistan's middle order, already fragile, slumped to 112 for three. Khushdil Shah, promoted to steady the ship, managed just 12 off 10 before misreading a Kuldeep wrong'un and stumping himself off Rishabh Pant.
Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep then orchestrated a stranglehold in the middle overs. Varun's variations—wrong'uns and flippers—yielded just 18 runs in his three overs, while Kuldeep's wizardry accounted for one wicket at an economy of 5.5. Pakistan's scoring rate dipped alarmingly, going 39 legal deliveries without a boundary at one stage. Salman Ali Agha, the captain, injected some urgency with a brisk 28 off 18, but his dismissal—caught behind off Rana—piled on the pressure.
In the death, Faheem Ashraf provided a late flourish, unbeaten on 20 off just eight balls, including two massive sixes off Pandya. Haris Rauf added a quick 8 before holing out to deep midwicket. Pakistan finished at 171 for five, a total that looked defendable on paper but vulnerable against India's explosive top order. Dube's 2 for 25 earned him the early plaudits, but it was the spinners' control—conceding just 42 runs in eight overs—that set the platform. As the players walked off, Agha's expression said it all: a mix of frustration and resolve. Little did they know, the real storm was brewing in the Indian camp.
India's Chase: Abhishek's Masterclass Lights Up Dubai
If Pakistan's innings was a tale of promise unfulfilled, India's chase was a symphony of dominance. The target of 172 felt gettable from the outset, but no one anticipated the fireworks that Abhishek Sharma would unleash. Facing the first ball from Shaheen Afridi, the young opener hooked it disdainfully over fine leg for six—a statement of intent that sent the Indian fans into raptures. The tone was set: this was to be an assault, not a grind.
Abhishek and Shubman Gill, opening in place of the injured Jaiswal, complemented each other perfectly. Gill, elegance personified, played the anchor's role initially, driving Afridi through covers for four in the second over. Abhishek, meanwhile, was all fury and flair. By the end of the powerplay, India were 69 for no loss—the best powerplay of the tournament and against Pakistan in T20Is. Abhishek had 38 off 15, laced with five fours and two sixes, while Gill contributed 22 off 10. Saim Ayub's first over as a bowler leaked 18 runs, including a massive six from Abhishek that cleared the ropes with ease.
Tempers flared midway through the powerplay. After Abhishek middled a pull off Haris Rauf for four, the pacer sledged him mid-over, prompting a heated exchange. Umpire Gazi Sohel had to intervene as Abhishek blew a kiss in response—a cheeky retort that drew chuckles from the Indian dugout. Undeterred, the duo pressed on, racing to 96 for no loss by the eighth over. Abhishek brought up his third T20I fifty off just 24 balls, the fastest in the tournament so far. The milestone was celebrated with a blown kiss to the crowd, echoing Farhan's earlier gesture but with far more swagger.
The 100-run stand came up in just 9.4 overs, the first century partnership of the Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan's spinners, Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed, were dispatched with disdain. Nawaz, in particular, suffered a bizarre run-out in a non-striker's mix-up that left former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram speechless in commentary. Abrar, the leggie, conceded 28 in two overs, including a six that Abhishek smashed straight back over his head.
At 105 for no loss after 10 overs, the writing was on the wall. But cricket, especially India-Pakistan cricket, has a way of injecting drama. Abrar finally broke through in the 11th over, trapping Gill lbw for 47 off 28—a knock of poise with five fours and two sixes. Suryakumar Yadav, the captain, walked in to a roar and steadied the innings with a couple of boundaries. However, Haris Rauf struck back, castling SKY for 18 off 10 with a yorker that tailed in late.
Enter Rinku Singh at No. 5, the finisher extraordinaire. With Abhishek still at the crease, Rinku played a cameo of 15 off 8, including a scooped six over short fine leg off Faheem Ashraf. The required rate never climbed above 7, but Pakistan fought gamely. Salman Agha's medium pace accounted for Rinku, caught at deep square leg, leaving India at 148 for three needing 24 off 28 balls.
Shivam Dube, fresh from his bowling heroics, joined Abhishek and took the game away. A pulled four off Afridi and a lofted cover drive signaled intent. Abhishek, now on 64, reached his fifty with a single and then unleashed hell. Two fours off Nawaz in the 17th over, followed by a six off Rauf, pushed India to 165 for three. With 7 needed off 12, Abhishek farmed the strike masterfully. He fell in the 19th over, bowled by a slower ball from Khushdil Shah for 74 off 39—six fours and five sixes in a knock that redefined opener's aggression.
Dube (30* off 19) and Hardik Pandya (4* off 2) knocked off the remaining runs, with Dube's boundary off Afridi sealing the deal in 18.5 overs. India finished at 174 for four, their highest successful T20I chase against Pakistan. The dugout erupted in hugs, while the Pakistani players trudged off, heads bowed. No handshakes again, but the respect was evident in the nods exchanged between Yadav and Agha.
Abhishek's Player of the Match award was a no-brainer; his innings wasn't just runs—it was a statement of India's evolution under pressure.
Key Performances: Stars Who Shone Bright
Abhishek Sharma's 74 off 39 was the defining knock, blending power (five sixes) with precision (six fours). His strike rate of 189.74 dismantled Pakistan's bowling, particularly in the powerplay where he scored 38 off 15. Shubman Gill's 47 off 28 provided the perfect foil, with his cover drives evoking memories of his ODI exploits. Shivam Dube emerged as the unsung hero, claiming 2 for 25 and then unbeaten 30 off 19, proving his worth as a seamless all-rounder.
For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan's 58 off 32 was a lone bright spot, his fifty the first by a Pakistani batter in the tournament. Faheem Ashraf's 20* off 8 added gloss, but the middle order's collapse highlighted ongoing frailties. Shaheen Afridi (0 for 38) and Haris Rauf (1 for 42) toiled without reward, their lines leaking under pressure.
Fielding was a mixed bag: India's four drops in the group game were avoided here, save Abhishek's early spill, while Pakistan's ground efforts were tidy but lacked penetration.
Tactical Breakdown: Spinners Seal the Deal
India's decision to bowl first paid dividends, with the spinners—Kuldeep (1 for 22), Varun (0 for 18), and even Pandya's cutters—choking Pakistan's run flow. The economy of 5.25 in the middle overs was tournament-leading. Pakistan's choice to open with Fakhar worked initially but exposed their lack of depth once the spinners arrived. The lack of a specialist death bowler hurt, as Afridi bowled his full quota early.
In the chase, India's aggressive powerplay blueprint—exploiting the hard new ball—was textbook T20. Pakistan's failure to vary pace in the middle overs allowed the partnerships to flourish.
The Rivalry's Edge: Drama Beyond the Boundary
This match wasn't without its spice. The Abhishek-Rauf spat, the no-handshake tradition, and Agha's visible frustration added layers to the contest. Off-field, PCB's press boycott and ICC reprimands underscored the strain, yet the players delivered a spectacle. As Yadav noted post-match, "Cricket unites, even in tough times." Agha's admission of "needing to regroup" hinted at soul-searching ahead.
Road Ahead: Implications for the Tournament
This win catapults India to six points, level with Bangladesh but ahead on net run rate. Pakistan, with one win from three, face an uphill battle against Sri Lanka next. For India, upcoming clashes with Bangladesh and a potential final loom large. The Asia Cup now shifts to Sharjah, but the echoes of this Dubai thriller will resonate.
In the end, Abhishek's storm blew away Pakistan's hopes, affirming India's supremacy in this eternal rivalry. As the fireworks lit up the Dubai sky, one thing was clear: in T20 cricket, thrillers like this are why fans tune in.
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