India Crushes Pakistan in T20 Asia Cup: Seven-Wicket Win Lights Up Dubai
India put on a show in Dubai, dominating Pakistan in their Group A clash at the T20 Asia Cup on Sunday. The world champions chased down the target with ease, winning by seven wickets and leaving Pakistan fans reeling.
Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal didn’t hold back after the loss. He slammed the team’s struggles, comparing Pakistan cricket’s decline to the sad fall of their hockey team. "Pakistan cricket is heading down the same path as hockey, and it’s all planned," Akmal told telecomasia.net. "We’re pulling the game down ourselves."
Batting first, Pakistan struggled big time at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. They could only manage 127/9 in 20 overs. Opener Sahibzada Farhan fought hard with 40 off 44 balls, and Shaheen Shah Afridi smashed an unbeaten 33 off 16 – including some fireworks – to push the score past 100. Without stars like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan had no answer to India’s spin attack.
India’s bowlers ruled the day. Kuldeep Yadav shone brightest with 3/18, while Axar Patel grabbed 2/18 and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with 1/24. The spinners bamboozled Pakistan’s batsmen from start to finish.
Chasing 128, India made it look simple. They reached the target in just 15.5 overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma exploded with 31 off 13 balls – four fours and two sixes set the tone. Shubman Gill added 10 before falling to Saim Ayub, who ended with 3/35 as Pakistan’s only wicket-taker.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav led from the front, unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls. He teamed up with Tilak Varma (31 off 31) for a crucial 56-run stand. Shivam Dube finished not out on 10. Pakistan just couldn’t match India’s fire in batting, bowling, or fielding.
Akmal pointed fingers at deeper issues in Pakistan cricket. "We’ve wrecked our domestic cricket and switched selections from performance to personal likes and dislikes," he said. "It’s all about egos, not the team’s future. That’s why we can’t produce players like before."
He drew a stark parallel to Pakistan’s hockey woes – they’ve missed Olympics and World Cups since 2010. "Hockey relies on government support and it’s gone. Cricket survives on corporate sponsorships and private money, but time’s running out," Akmal warned.
Pakistan kicked off the T20 Asia Cup with a 93-run thrashing of Oman. They should beat UAE next to reach the Super Four stage. But this flat performance against India won’t boost their confidence for the knockout rounds.
Akmal added a sarcastic twist: "If we flop in the Asia Cup, big problems ahead. But after bombing the last 10 tournaments, one more won’t hurt." At 43, he’s clearly frustrated with Pakistan cricket’s direction.
India, on the other hand, is flying high. Suryakumar’s side locked in Super Fours with back-to-back wins – they smashed UAE by nine wickets in their opener. The T20 Asia Cup heats up, and India looks unstoppable.
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