India Crushes Pakistan in Asia Cup Thriller: Seven-Wicket Win Keeps Them Top of Group A
In a dominant display at the Asia Cup in Dubai, India stunned Pakistan with a seven-wicket victory on Sunday. The win came with over four overs to spare, helping India stay firmly at the top of Group A. Despite an early jolt from Pakistan’s Saim Ayub during the powerplay, India’s all-round brilliance left their rivals reeling.
Chasing a modest target of 128 runs, India kicked off aggressively. Opener Abhishek Sharma set the tone right away, smashing a four and a six off Pakistan’s pace ace Shaheen Afridi in the first over. Vice-captain Shubman Gill joined the fun, dancing down the track to nail two elegant fours off Saim Ayub in the second over—one straight down the ground and another lofted over extra-cover.
But Ayub struck back. Gill, trying to defend a length ball, stepped out and got stumped on 10 off 7 balls after the carrom ball turned away, leaving him stranded. Undeterred, Abhishek flicked Shaheen for a massive six and added two more boundaries off Ayub. His fiery knock ended at 31 off 13 balls, caught off a slower delivery while going for glory.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma then steadied the ship, handling the spin attack with ease. They ended the powerplay at 61 for 2. Tilak mixed classic shots with innovative ones, picking up a couple of boundaries. He really turned it on in the ninth over, smashing spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for a huge six to deep mid-wicket.
Suryakumar took time to settle but soon found his rhythm with a sharp back-cut four. Tilak got a lucky break on 30 when Mohammad Nawaz dropped a sitter in the 12th over, but he couldn’t capitalize, adding just one more run before Ayub dismissed him for 31 off 31 balls. Their 56-run partnership had kept India on track.
Suryakumar ramped up the pressure, hitting a couple of boundaries. Shivam Dube then exploded onto the scene, charging down to launch a 90-meter six. The skipper sealed the deal with a powerful slog-sweep six, finishing unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls. Dube remained not out on 10 off 7 as India reached 131 for 3 in just 15.5 overs.
Earlier, Pakistan’s innings crumbled under India’s sharp bowling. After winning the toss and batting first, they lost Saim Ayub for a golden duck to Hardik Pandya on the first legal ball. Mohammad Haris followed soon, pulling Jasprit Bumrah straight to square leg for 3 in the next over.
Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman tried to rebuild, pushing the score to 42 by the end of the powerplay. But Axar Patel broke through, dismissing Fakhar for 17 off 15 balls in the eighth over. Captain Salman Ali Agha struggled too, out for 3 off 12 to Axar, leaving Pakistan at 49 for 4 after 10 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav turned the game with his left-arm wrist spin, grabbing three key wickets for 18 runs. He dismissed Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nawaz with consecutive balls, then bowled Farhan for a gritty 40 off 44 (including three sixes and a four) in the 17th over.
Shaheen Afridi provided some late fireworks, unbeaten on 33 off 16 balls with two sixes off Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. Faheem Ashraf fell to Chakaravarthy soon after, and Sufiyan Muqeem hit two fours off Bumrah before the seamer cleaned him up for 10 off 6. Pakistan managed just 127 for 9 in their 20 overs, with Saim Ayub taking 3 for 35 as their best bowler.
This comprehensive Asia Cup win highlights India’s strong form in the India vs Pakistan rivalry. With key performances from Kuldeep, Suryakumar, and the openers, India looks unstoppable in Group A. Fans can’t wait for the next clash in this high-stakes tournament.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 127/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 40, Shaheen Afridi 33; Kuldeep Yadav 3/18) lost to India 131/3 in 15.5 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 47, Abhishek Sharma 31, Saim Ayub 3/35).
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