Asia Cup 2025: India fire the first salvo over Pakistan

The Asian archrivals rivals are likely to meet three times in the tournament with India scoring a few brownie points in the duel in the desert in the early encounter.

Dubai: The anticipated full house was conspicuous by its absence, but that did not stand in the way of a command all-round performance by India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.

Somehow managing to keep their wits about them amidst the strident calls to boycott their T20 Asia Cup against Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav and his men cruised to a seven-wicket victory with 25 deliveries to spare, the margin perfectly reflective of their unquestioned superiority.

Even though seven of the last eight matches between the two teams have been won by the chasing side, Salman Agha chose to bat, perhaps believing that the unused track would get slower as the evening progressed. But by the midway stage of the game, it was apparent that his ploy had spectacularly backfired after India’s spinners, led by Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, restricted Pakistan to 127 for nine.

Kuldeep, who took four for seven against UAE, ended up with three for 18 while Axar, who mixed up his pace beautifully, took two wickets while also conceding only 18. If Pakistan’s innings was not an entire no-show, it was only because of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unbeaten 16-ball 33, which contained four towering sixes including a brace in the final over from Hardik Pandya.

Any nerves India’s dugout might have entertained were immediately quelled by the effervescent Abhishek Sharma. Relishing batting alongside Shubman Gill, the left-hander drilled Afridi’s first ball of India’s chase back past him for four, then creamed the next over long-off for six.

First Gill, and then Abhishek, fell victims to Saim Ayub’s off-spin, but Abhishek’s breezy start meant Suryakumar and Tilak Varma could afford to take their time. Their half-century alliance hauled India to within touching distance of victory, and the captain then celebrated his 35th birthday in style by depositing Sufiyan Muqeem over mid-wicket for the six that formalised India’s victory.

Suryakumar and Shivam Dube walked off without the customary shake of the hands with Pakistan’s players; at the toss too, there was no handshake between Suryakumar and Agha, the skippers barely making eye contact.

Ayub had been dismissed without scoring against UAE two nights back and his miserable run with the bat continued when he drove the first legal ball of the evening, from Pandya, to point. Mohammad Haris, the star of the victory in that match, perished to Jasprit Bumrah in the next over and at six for two, Pakistan faced a long road back.

Sahibzada Farhan, the other opener, and Fakhar Zaman, who has been a thorn in India’s flesh in the past, briefly resisted. Zaman tried to get on top of the bowling but India’s spinners kept him honest, while Farhan struggled to rotate strike even though he hit two sixes off Bumrah, who again bowled three overs in the Power Play.

Pakistan were shackled between overs seven and ten, which produced a mere seven runs for the loss of two wickets. Axar, with his clever changes of pace, did the damage in that phase, after which Kuldeep took over, once again hoodwinking the batters with his clever variations and his judicious use of the wrong ‘un.

Unable to fathom which way the ball was turning, Pakistan’s batters hit out in hope rather than conviction and provided several catches in the deep well held by India’s fielders at a ground where catching has been an issue in the past. Afridi threw caution to the winds, striking the ball cleanly, but as entertaining as his knock was, it was too little and far too late.