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Abhishek Sharma Storm Annihilates Pakistan As India Humiliate Arch-Rivals In Asia Cup

Debashis Sarangi

Abhishek Sharma smashed a magnificent fifty [Source: AFP]Abhishek Sharma smashed a magnificent fifty [Source: AFP]

Riding on Abhishek Sharma's stunning knock, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their first Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2025. After Pakistan posted 171 runs on the board, India chased the target successfully in 18.5 overs, getting a winning start to the second round of the tournament. This is India's highest-ever successful run-chase against Pakistan in T20Is. 

As India's high-voltage contest against Pakistan marks its conclusion, here are the key moments and highlights from the game. 

Farhan's Fifty, Faheem's Late Blitz Powers Pakistan To A Solid Total

After Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first, Pakistan had a positive start to their innings. Although veteran batter Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for fifteen following a controversial decision, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub kept the scoreboard ticking with proactive batsmanship. 

Ayub finally got off the mark in the Asia Cup, being dismissed for 21 by Shivam Dube. On the other hand, Farhan continued his onslaught on the Indian bowlers, eventually bringing up his fifty. 

However, the opener's untimely dismissal slowed down Pakistan's scoring rate at a crucial juncture. Despite the setback, the Men in Green propelled themselves to a respectable score, riding on Faheem Ashraf's aggressive eight-ball 20*. Dube was the pick of the bowlers from India, scalping two wickets, while Pandya and Kuldeep bagged one wicket each. 

Abhishek Sharma Mayhem Ensures India's Easy Win

In response, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill started from where they left when they faced Pakistan in the group-stage. 

The Indian batting duo not only smashed the Pakistani bowlers to all parts of the ground but also got engaged with a few heated exchanges, unsettling them with their antics. Abhishek played the aggressor's role, dispatching the likes of Rauf, Shaheen and Abrar to the cleaners. 

All-rounder Faheem Ashraf bagged the crucial wicket of Gill, preventing the Punjab batter from scoring a well-deserved half-century. The stylish right hander hammered eight glorious boundaries for his scintillating 28-ball 47. 

Haris Rauf wreaked havoc in the Indian camp by getting rid of Suryakumar Yadav for a duck in the following over. However, Abhishek was too hot to handle for Pakistan and only got dismissed when the game was already in India's kitty. The swashbuckling southpaw registered the fastest-ever fifty by an Indian against Pakistan, breaking Yuvraj Singh's record. 

Although he got out for 74 off just 39 balls off Abrar Ahmed's bowling, his blistering knock had ensured India's fate in the match. Haris Rauf came back to haunt India by cleaning up Sanju Samson, but Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya eventually took the Men in Blue over the line by holding their nerves during the high-pressure chase.