Clinical India outclass Pakistan by seven wickets in Asia Cup clash

All-round India put on a dominant display to defeat Pakistan by seven wickets in a high-stakes Asia Cup 2025 encounter at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

After being asked to bowl first, India restricted Pakistan to a modest total of 127 runs, thanks to disciplined bowling and tight fielding.

Chasing the target, the defending champions made their intentions clear from the outset. Openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma took an aggressive approach, putting pressure on the Pakistani attack. The pair raced to 22 in the first two overs before Gill, having struck two early boundaries off Saim Ayub, was stumped attempting a third.

India's Abhishek Sharma in action. Photo: Reuters

Abhishek, however, continued the momentum with a fluent 31 off 18 balls, including four boundaries and a six, before falling to Ayub — who remained Pakistan’s lone bright spot with the ball. His dismissal left India at 41-2, still cruising at over 10 runs per over.

Captain Suryakumar then joined Tilak Varma to steady the innings. The duo added 56 runs for the third wicket, effectively snuffing out any hopes of a Pakistani fightback. Varma contributed a steady 31 off 31 before Ayub returned to rattle his stumps, claiming his third wicket of the evening.

From there, it was smooth sailing. Suryakumar led from the front with a composed 47 off 37 deliveries*, striking five fours and a towering six. He was ably supported by Shivam Dube, who remained unbeaten on 10 as India sealed victory in the 16th over.

Saim Ayub, despite being primarily known for his batting, impressed with the ball, finishing with 3-32 — accounting for all three Indian wickets.

India's Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube celebrate winning. Photo: Reuters

Earlier, Pakistan’s batting line-up collapsed once again, as they failed to post a competitive total and set India a modest target of 128 runs.

The Green Shirts’ innings got off to a disastrous start when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed on the very first ball of the match. Attempting a square drive, Ayub only managed to offer a straightforward catch to point off Jasprit Bumrah — his second consecutive golden duck in the tournament.

The early breakthrough set the tone for India’s bowlers, and pressure quickly mounted on Pakistan. Haris, who was named Player of the Match in Pakistan’s previous outing against Oman for his match-winning half-century, failed to replicate his form. Attempting to take on Bumrah, he mistimed a shot and was caught at deep backward square, departing after scoring just 3 runs, leaving Pakistan reeling at 6 for 2.

With the top order in disarray, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman attempted to steady the innings. The pair added 39 crucial runs for the third wicket, briefly halting India’s momentum. However, just as the partnership looked promising, Zaman fell to left-arm spinner Axar Patel — his ambitious stroke falling short as he was caught inside the circle.

India's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Mohammad Haris, caught out by India's Hardik Pandya. Photo: Reuters

Captain Agha Salman walked in under mounting pressure and was nearly trapped LBW on his first ball. Though he survived that scare, his innings didn’t last much longer. Struggling to rotate the strike amid a string of dot balls, he was eventually dismissed, leaving Pakistan four down with only 49 runs on the board at the end of the 10th over.

The batting woes deepened as Kuldeep Yadav dealt a double blow, removing Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz on consecutive deliveries in the same over, reducing Pakistan to six down.

Farhan, who fought valiantly at the other end but struggled throughout the innings, mirroring Pakistan’s overall struggle, finally fell after scoring 40 off 44 balls as the team struggled to reach the 100-run mark.

Faheem Ashraf also failed to deliver under pressure and was trapped LBW by Varun Sharma, leaving Pakistan eight wickets down with just 97 runs on the board.

Farhan’s measured 40 off 44 provided brief resistance in an otherwise faltering innings. Photo: Reuters

At this critical juncture, Shaheen Shah Afridi stepped up with the bat and brought some much-needed hope to the struggling Green Shirts. The fast bowler’s late blitz helped Pakistan post a total of 127 for nine at the end of 20 overs, with Shaheen emerging as the second-highest scorer, smashing 33 runs off just 16 balls, including four sixes.

Pakistan’s batting was largely helpless throughout the innings, with no batter reaching a half-century. Five batsmen failed to reach double figures, and two were dismissed for golden ducks.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav was once again the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 18 runs in his four overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel also chipped in with two wickets each, exerting relentless pressure on the Pakistani lineup.

Pakistan Playing XI: Salman Ali Agha (C), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Moqim.

India Playing XI: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah