Dubai: India waltzed past Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup 2025, wrapping up a breezy chase under the bright Dubai lights in a mere 15.5 overs with Suryakumar Yadav finishing in the most cavalier fashion imaginable with a glorious slog-sweep for six.
Pakistan, opting to bat, were in trouble from the very moment Hardik Pandya produced a delicious outswinger to prise out Saim Ayub, caught neatly at point. Jasprit Bumrah then sent Mohammad Haris packing, and suddenly it was 6 for 2 with the clock barely ticking.
Sahibzada Farhan, to his credit, looked determined, carving Jasprit Bumrah for six over long-on and repeating the dose against Kuldeep Yadav. But as wickets clattered — Fakhar Zaman’s elegant 17 ended by Tilak Varma’s tumbling catch off Axar Patel, while Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz all departed in a heap — Pakistan found themselves wobbling.
Kuldeep Yadav, twirling away like a cat teasing a ball of wool, claimed 3 for 18, his spell throttling the middle order. Axar Patel chipped in with 2 for 18, and Varun Chakaravarthy nipped out Faheem Ashraf. Only Shaheen Afridi, swinging merrily in the final overs for 33 off 16, and a brief cameo from Sufiyan Muqeem, gave the score a hint of respectability at 127 for nine.
India’s reply had a champagne sparkle about it. Abhishek Sharma charged down at Shaheen’s very first delivery, lifting it past the bowler’s despairing left hand for four, and then launched a soaring six over wide long-off. He peppered the fence again against Saim Ayub and hoisted Afridi through mid-wicket, racing to 31 from just 13 balls before finding Faheem Ashraf at long-off.
Shubman Gill, looking a picture of poise, stroked two fluent boundaries before succumbing to a clever carrom ball from Ayub — sharp work from Haris behind the stumps doing the rest.
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma then treated the fans to a delightful partnership. Varma played a charming reverse sweep off Mohammad Nawaz and a slogsweep that flew into the top tier, while SKY, ever the conjuror, unfurled cheeky back-cuts, sweetly timed sweeps and wristy drives. Varma was undone by a peach from Ayub, who finished with a well-deserved three for 35, but by then India’s sails were full.
Enter Shivam Dube, striding out and merrily dispatching Saim Ayub over long-on, as though playing on a Sunday afternoon at his local ground. That left Suryakumar to deliver the coup de grace. Standing tall on 47, he advanced to Sufiyan Muqeem, swung with that nonchalant flourish, and sent the ball sailing into the stands at deep mid-wicket — a fittingly flamboyant finish to a polished performance.
India’s victory owed much to the early discipline of Pandya and Bumrah, the guile of Kuldeep and Axar, and the sharpness in the field — Varma's catch and Shaheen’s acrobatics among the highlights. Pakistan, alas, never quite found their rhythm with the bat, partnerships proving as elusive as a taxi in the rain.
So, India remain unbeaten, their campaign purring along nicely with topping Group A with four points out of two matches, while Pakistan, placed second with two points, must patch their batting frailties if they’re to stay afloat in this competition. A splendid contest for the neutral, but one in which India were always several steps ahead.