Abhishek Sharma came out all guns blazing and showed his class against Pakistan. Abhishe Sharma‘ s 74 off 39 balls was the cornerstone of a successful chase for India. Abhishek was determined to convert his start into a big one and he did that today. First, the bowlers did decently despite Sahibzada Farhan’s 58 that helped Pakistan to 171/5 in 20 overs with Shivam Dube picking up 2 wickets to his name.
In reply, Abhishek Sharma’s 74 off 39 balls and Shubman Gill’s 47 off 28 balls alongside Tilak Varma’s 30 off 19 balls at the end unbeaten took India over the line by 6 wickets with 7 balls to spare. India beat Pakistan for the second time in two games and look good to go all the way.
Sahibzada Farhan’s 58 pushes Pakistan to a competitive 171/5 in 20 overs
Put into bat first, Sahibzada Farhan came out to bat with his new opening partner Fakhar Zaman. Hardik Pandya had ball in hand for India. Farhan got a reprieve early on when his top edge carried to third man where Abhishek Sharma dropped a sitter as he was late to start off. Farhan was on 0 and Pakistan on 0 as well. Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack from the other end. Fakhar Zaman made his intentions clear as he clipped Bumrah away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Zaman then drilled Bumrah down the ground past mid-off for a boundary.
Hardik continued as Zaman crunched him by cutting behind square on the off-side for a boundary. But Hardik hit back getting rid of Zaman for 15 off 9 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. Hardik bowled full delivery outside off-stump angling across. Fakhar got forward and pushed at it with hard hands in front of his pads. He got an outside edge that went to Sanju Samson who took a good low catch. The TV umpire was called in to check and after a few replays he gave the verdict in favour of the bowling side. Fakhar was livid with that decision. Saim Ayub came out to bat next.
Ayub got off the mark in the tournament and the match with a pull through deep square leg. Bumrah continued as Farhan pulled away through vacant deep square leg region for a boundary. Bumrah bowled a waist high full toss which Farhan hit through mid-on for a boundary and the square leg umpire deemed it too high and gave it a no ball for height. Free Hit yielded only a single. Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack inside the powerplay. He should have had Saim Ayub but Kuldeep Yadav put him down at short fine leg as another sitter went down. Farhan then got the outside edge through to third man region for a boundary.
Bumrah continued as Farhan heaved it away to the leg side towards mid-on for a boundary. The 50 came up for Pakistan in 5.5 overs. Farhan then hit Bumrah again over mid-off for a boundary to end the over and the powerplay. At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 55/1 and off to a steady start in the first innings.
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a decent first over to start his opening over. Varun Chakaravarthy changed ends as Farhan smashed him over wide long-on over Abhishek who got finger tips to it and parried it over the ropes. Ayub then launched Kuldeep by coming down the track and lofted it over long-on for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Farhan next took the attack to Kuldeep by launching over wide long-on for the maximum. There was a stumping appeal, but no damage was done in the end.
Axar Patel came into the attack to bowl the last over before Drinks. Farhan launched Axar’s loose delivery over deep midwicket for the maximum as the right-hander reached his fifty in 34 balls. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the Pakistan innings, the Men In Green were 91/1 as players paused for the Drinks Break.
Shivam Dube came into the attack after the Break. Dube provided India the breakthrough as he dismissed Ayub for 21 off 17 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name. Dube bowled a short of a length on the leg and middle stump. Ayub was cramped for room as he looked to whip across the line. He tried to play the pick up stroke and lifted his front leg and got a top edge. It shoot up towards deep backward square leg. Abhishek charged in and dived full length to take a good catch. Hussain Talat came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Dube bowled a no ball, but the free hit yielded a dot ball.
Varun came back into the attack as the 100 came up for Pakistan in 11.2 overs. Dube continued and bowled a decent over. Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack and got rid of Talat for 10 off 11 balls. Kuldeep bowled from over the wicket full around the off-stump a googly. Talat was down on one knee for a reverse sweep but only managed a top edge that ballooned to short third man. A simple catch for Varun who looked animated as well in taking the catch. Mohammad Nawaz came to the crease next and soon got off the mark.
Dube got another one as he dismissed Farhan for 58 off 45 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes to his name. He bowled from over the wicket an off-cutter. Good length delivery wide outside off-stump. Farhan had to reach for it and threw his hands at it losing control of the bat and the shot. The bat flew across to square leg after getting hit on the toe end as Farhan gave a kitchen sink at it. It shot up towards the right of extra cover. SKY moved from extra cover and took an easy catch. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next and got off the mark. After 15 overs, Pakistan were 119/4.
Varun came to bowl his final over and the 16th of the innings and he bowled a miserly over. Kuldeep returned as Salman launched him straight down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Kuldeep was desperate for a wicket and forced his captain to for DRS for LBW against Agha, but the ball pitched outside the leg stump. The review was lost by India. Kuldeep finished his spell as well.
Nawaz welcomed Dube with a maximum as he powered the short ball over cow corner. Nawaz then hit Dube for a boundary through an outside edge that goes away into the gap between keeper and short third man. Bumrah returned for his final over. Against the run of play and lack of game awareness meant that Nawaz was run out for 21 off 19 balls with one four and one six to his name. Faheem Ashraf came to the crease next and smoked Bumrah over midwicket of a full toss for the maximum.
Another catch was dropped by India as Ashraf was dropped by Shubman Gill in the deep off Bumrah. India’s fielding was shoddy to say the least. Hardik Pandya came to bowl the final over of the innings as Faheem got a boundary via a top edge over the keeper’s head for a streaky boundary. The final ball of the innings was sliced away by Ashraf over deep backward point as the ball went above Dube for the maximum to end the innings. Salman Ali Agha remained unbeaten on 17 off 13 balls with a maximum to his name while Faheem Ashraf was unbeaten on 20 off 8 balls with one four and 2 sixes to his name. 9 extras given by India as Pakistan finished with 171/5 in 20 overs.
It was a hard toil for the Indian bowlers. Hardik Pandya finished with 1/29 in 3 overs. Jasprit Bumrah had a rare off day as he finished with 45 runs in 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy was wicketless but gave away only 25 runs in his 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. Axar Patel bowled a single over for 8 runs. Shivam Dube was the man for India as he chipped in with 2/33 in 4 overs. This meant the target for India would be 172 to win and start their Super 4 campaign with a win.
Abhishek Sharma’s Powerful 74 off 39 balls takes India over the line.Â
Chasing 172 for the win, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat for India. Shaheen Afridi had ball in hand for Pakistan. Abhishek got off the mark with a maximum pulling him over fine leg. Saim Ayub took the new ball from the other end. Gill climbed onto him as he smashed Ayub for back-to-back boundaries. Afridi continued as Gill hit him and lofted over mid-off for a boundary. Gill then hit Afridi for a boundary through the covers.
Abrar Ahmed came into the attack inside the powerplay. Abhishek took him on as he hit him for a boundary and then hit him for a maximum over midwicket. Haris Rauf came into the attack next. Abhishek was in the mood as he hit him for a boundary. Gill then hit Rauf for a boundary as some sparks flew and words exchanged.
Ayub returned to the attack as Abhishek hit him down the ground for a boundary. Gill was not to be left behind as he hit Ayub for a boundary through short third man and backward point. Gill hit another boundary through deep midwicket for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, India were 69/0 in 6 overs.
Abrar Ahmed returned to the bowling crease. Abhishek Sharma launched Abrar over midwicket for the maximum. Abhishek hit Abrar again for the maximum as he was unstoppable. Gill then hit Ayub for a boundary through short third man via a reverse sweep. Abhishek soon got to his fifty off 24 balls by driving through extra covers. The 100 came up for India in 8.4 overs. Faheem Ashraf came into the attack and dismissed Gill for 47 off 28 balls with 8 fours to his name.
Faheem bowled a cross seam on a good length delivery pitching around the off-stump and coming back in a shade, with Gill looking to continue with his stroke play. A bit too casual with the footwork as he got half forward to drive and left a massive gap between bat and pad. The ball nipped back to beat the inside edge and went through the gates to shatter the off and middle stumps. Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next and after 10 overs, India were 105/1.
Rauf came back and got rid of Suryakumar Yadav for a bronze duck. He bowled full at the off-stump, Surya walked across and looked to access behind square on the leg side with his favourite whip. He swung early and got a big leading edge that went to deep third man. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. Abhishek hit Faheem for a boundary over the non-striker’s head. Abhishek hit Faheem again for a boundary between backward point and point region.
Abhishek launched Abrar for the maximum over wide long-on. But Abhishek fell for 74 off 39 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Abrar bowled a shorter googly outside the off-stump. It is slower through the air as well. Abhishek had to shuffle a tad across his off-pole and then he looks to pull across the line. He had to fetch this one well away from his arc. He can only manage to hit it off the toe end. Rauf took the catch and shows aggression. Sanju Samson came out to bat next.
He got off the mark straightaway. Samson hit a lovely extra cover drive through the covers. Tilak hit another boundary down the ground off Afridi. India were 140/3 in 15 overs and in cruise control at this stage. Abrar bowled the next over and bowled it decently. Rauf then dismissed Samson for 13 off 17 balls with a boundary to his name. Rauf from over the wicket bowled a length ball outside off-stump nipped back in off the seam. Samson looked to heave it away but missed it. The ball cannoned into the top of middle stump. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next and got off the mark with a glorious boundary through deep midwicket.
Tilak then launched Faheem for the maximum over deep square leg. Tilak then had enough as he smashed Shaheen for the maximum over long-off and then a boundary to end the game as India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets and 7 balls to spare. Tilak was unbeaten on 30 off 19 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Hardik was unbeaten on 7 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. 3 extras given by Pakistan.
Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with figures of 2/26 in 4 overs. Abrar Ahmed got a wicket and so did Faheem Ashraf while Shaheen Afridi and Saim Ayub came back wicketless. So, India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets and Abhishek Sharma was awarded the Player of the Match.
What Lies Ahead
So, India have beaten Pakistan and the turnaround time is quick for Pakistan. We have a rest day on Monday. But the action resumes on Tuesday as Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on 23rd September 2025 at 8 PM IST. Both teams in must-win territory. Who will keep their hopes alive? Only time will tell. Find out on Tuesday.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Sahibzada Farhan’s Marvellous 58 Guides Pakistan To 171/5