Suryakumar Yadav turned 35 in the best way possible—by smashing an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls to lead India to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Group A match at the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup. The game unfolded at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, and India chased down 128 with 25 balls to spare, proving why they’re the reigning T20 World Cup champions.
India’s batting lineup fired on all cylinders, making the chase look effortless. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill set the tone early. Abhishek exploded with a four over the umpire’s head off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first ball, then launched a massive six over long-off. He kept the pressure on, slashing another four behind point and whipping a six over mid-wicket. Even Saim Ayub couldn’t escape—Abhishek lofted and drove him for back-to-back boundaries. But Ayub struck back, catching Abhishek off a lofted shot for 31 off just 13 balls.
Shubman Gill added 10 with two classy fours before getting stumped, leaving India at 61/2 after the powerplay. Tilak Varma joined the party, reverse-sweeping and lofting Mohammad Nawaz for two stunning fours. He smashed a huge 98m six off Muqeem and survived a dropped catch on 30. Tilak looked solid until Ayub’s spin gripped the pitch and bowled him for 31.
Enter birthday boy Suryakumar Yadav, who looked right at home against the spinners. He cut and hammered Nawaz for boundaries, swept Ayub through deep backward square leg, and stayed cool under pressure. Shivam Dube chipped in with an unbeaten 10, including a lofted six over long-on off Ayub. Suryakumar sealed the win with a massive six off Muqeem, finishing the job in style.
This marks India’s second straight win in the T20 Asia Cup 2025, giving their net run rate a big boost. Interestingly, there were no post-match handshakes between players or staff— a nod to the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, marking the first such clash since tensions rose earlier this year.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 127/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 40, Shaheen Shah Afridi 33; Kuldeep Yadav 3/18, Axar Patel 2/18) lost to India 131/3 in 15.5 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 47, Abhishek Sharma 31; Saim Ayub 3/22) by seven wickets.
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