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India continued their dominance over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 stage with a comprehensive 6-wicket victory on Sunday. The star of the show was young opener Abhishek Sharma, who played a blazing knock of 74 runs off just 39 balls, setting the tone for a comfortable chase. Chasing a target of 172, India reached the mark in 18.5 overs, thanks to a solid opening partnership and smart finishing by Tilak Varma.
Earlier in the match, Pakistan posted 171/5 after being put in to bat. Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with a gritty half-century, while Faheem Ashraf and Salman Ali Agha provided late fireworks to push their team to a competitive total. Despite a few dropped chances in the field — four in total — India’s bowlers kept things under control. Shivam Dube was particularly impressive, taking 2 wickets for 33 runs, while Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya chipped in with one wicket each.
After the match, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav praised the team’s composure and performance, though he didn’t shy away from addressing the fielding lapses. “The boys are stepping up every game and making my job easier. After the first 10 overs, I told them the real game starts now,” he said. On the dropped catches, Suryakumar revealed that fielding coach T. Dilip had already emailed the players involved, humorously referring to them as having "butter fingers."
He also highlighted the partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, calling it a “fire and ice” combination that balances aggression and calmness perfectly.
Speaking after his match-winning performance, Abhishek Sharma opened up about a fiery on-field exchange with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, saying it gave him extra motivation. “They were coming at us for no reason, and I didn’t like it. That’s why I went after them — I wanted to deliver for my team,” he said. Reflecting on his partnership with Gill, Abhishek added, “We’ve been playing together since our school days, and we enjoy batting together. Today was our day.”
He credited the team environment for his confidence, saying, “When the team backs you like this, it gives you the intent and belief to perform. I’ve been working hard in the nets, and when it’s my day, I want to finish the game for India.”