Asia Cup: Abhishek, Kuldeep help India book final spot; thrash Bangladesh by 41 runs (Ld)
India crushed Bangladesh by 41 runs in the Asia Cup 2025 semi-final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, powering into the final with a dominant display. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy led the charge with the ball, grabbing five wickets between them to dismantle Bangladesh’s batting lineup.
The win knocked Sri Lanka out of the tournament, setting up an exciting showdown between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday for the other final spot. India, riding high on five straight victories, will face Sri Lanka in a low-stakes match later this week.
Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali won the toss and chose to bowl first on a tricky, slow pitch. India raced to 168/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a fiery start from opener Abhishek Sharma. He smashed 75 runs off just 37 balls, blasting sixes left and right to give India the edge.
Abhishek’s explosive knock broke records—he now holds the most T20I innings with five or more sixes by an Indian, surpassing mentor Yuvraj Singh with six such outings. He’s behind only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar Yadav (9). In the Asia Cup 2025, Abhishek set a new tournament record with 17 sixes, the highest in any single edition across formats.
India’s openers lit up the powerplay, piling on 72 runs without losing a wicket. Shubman Gill made 29 off 19 balls before Bangladesh fought back. Spinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Gill and later ran out Abhishek, while Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with one wicket. India sent Shivam Dube at No. 3, but he managed just 2. Suryakumar Yadav added 5 off 11, and Tilak Varma scored 5 as the middle order struggled. Hardik Pandya steadied the ship with a cool 38 off 29, and Axar Patel remained not out on 10 off 15. Rishad finished as Bangladesh’s top bowler with 2/27.
Chasing 169, Bangladesh stumbled early despite a gritty fight from opener Saif Hassan, who top-scored with 69 off 51 balls. He survived three drops—by Axar Patel on 40, Shivam Dube on 65, and Sanju Samson on 66 off Varun’s bowling—to keep his team alive. Saif built a 42-run stand with Parvez Hossain Emon (21 off 19), but the rest of the lineup collapsed under India’s spin attack.
Jasprit Bumrah set the tone by removing Tanzid Hasan cheaply, ending with sharp figures of 2/18 in four overs. Kuldeep Yadav shone brightest, taking 3/18, including Parvez’s wicket to trigger the slide. Axar Patel grabbed 1/37 by dismissing Towhid Hridoy for 7, and Varun Chakravarthy bounced back from a tough start to claim 2/29. Bangladesh’s middle order buckled, losing wickets in clumps, and they ended at 127 all out in 19.3 overs. With 43 runs needed off the last over, Tilak Varma sealed the deal by knocking over Mustafizur Rahman.
Only Saif and Emon hit double figures for Bangladesh, highlighting their batting woes in this high-stakes India vs Bangladesh cricket clash.
Brief scores: India 168/6 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 75, Hardik Pandya 38; Rishad Hossain 2/27, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1/29) beat Bangladesh 127 all out in 19.3 overs (Saif Hassan 69, Parvez Hossain Emon 21; Kuldeep Yadav 3/18, Varun Chakravarthy 2/29) by 41 runs.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
