India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is buzzing with excitement after leading his team to a nail-biting five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai. This victory marks India’s second T20I Asia Cup title and cements Suryakumar’s growing legacy in the fast-paced world of T20 cricket.
Suryakumar couldn’t stop praising opener Abhishek Sharma, who lit up the tournament with his explosive batting. Abhishek smashed 314 runs in just six innings, including three fifties, at an average of 44.85 and a stunning strike rate of 200. That puts him right behind Virat Kohli’s iconic 2014 T20 World Cup performance for India. “He’s a game-changer who should be left alone,” Suryakumar told Revsportz host Boria Majumdar. “I’ve seen him charge bowlers from ball one in IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad and now for India. That fearless attitude rubs off on everyone—it lets the team play with freedom and enjoy the game.”
The win came down to a team effort, but Abhishek’s aggressive starts set the tone. Since his rocky debut last year, he’s turned heads in 2024, racking up 593 runs in 12 T20I innings at an average of 49.41 and a strike rate over 208. He even notched a century and four fifties, with a top score of 135.
Looking ahead, Suryakumar knows the next few months could shape India’s path to the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The busy schedule kicks off with a five-match T20I series in Australia in October-November, followed by home series against South Africa in December and New Zealand in January 2026. “We’re really looking forward to it,” Suryakumar said with a laugh when asked about the pressure. “These 15 games will help us test combinations, bring in new faces, and build a strong team. Sometimes, a quick 15 off 10 balls is as good as a fifty—it’s all about impact.”
Suryakumar himself is a T20I powerhouse. Since debuting in 2021, he’s scored 2,670 runs in 90 matches at an average of 37.08 and a strike rate above 164, with four centuries and 21 fifties. He’s India’s third-highest T20I run-scorer and has claimed back-to-back ICC T20 Player of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023. Don’t forget his famous catch in last year’s T20 World Cup final that helped India beat South Africa in Barbados.
In the final, Pakistan batted first after losing the toss. Openers Sahidzada Farhan (57 off 38) and Fakhar Zaman (46 off 35) built an 84-run stand, but India’s spinners turned the game. Kuldeep Yadav took 4-30, Varun Chakravarthy grabbed 2-30, and Jasprit Bumrah sealed it with 2-25. Pakistan crumbled from 113-1 to 146 all out in 19.1 overs.
Chasing 147, India stumbled early at 20-3 thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s 3-29. But Tilak Varma (unbeaten 69 off 53) steadied the ship with a 57-run partnership alongside Sanju Samson (24 off 21). Shivam Dube added 33 off 22, and debutant Rinku Singh hit the winning runs on the first ball of his Asia Cup innings. Tilak earned Player of the Match, giving India their ninth overall Asia Cup title, including ODI versions.
With these momentum-building series on the horizon, Indian cricket fans have plenty to look forward to as the team gears up for T20 World Cup glory.
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