Abhishek Sharma’s Half-Century Guides India to Six-Wicket Win Over Pakistan in ACC T20 Asia Cup Super Four

Opener Abhishek Sharma’s blazing half-century helped India defeat Pakistan by six wickets in the ACC T20 Asia Cup Super Four stage. Chasing a target of 172 runs, India reached the mark in 18.4 overs, losing just four wickets.

Abhishek starred with the bat, scoring a match-high 74 runs off 39 balls, smashing six fours and five sixes. Fellow opener Shubman Gill contributed 47 runs off 28 balls with eight boundaries. Together, Sharma and Gill gave India a flying start, putting up a 105-run opening stand in 9.5 overs, setting the foundation for an easy victory. Pakistan finally got their breakthrough when Faheem Ashraf bowled Gill.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck, while Sanju Samson managed only 13 runs. Tilak Varma added a quick 30 runs off 19 balls with two fours and two sixes, and Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten on 7 runs to finish the chase. Among Pakistani bowlers, Haris Rauf was the pick, taking 2 wickets for 26 runs in 4 overs, while Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bat at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 171 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan top-scored for Pakistan with a brilliant 58 off 45 balls, which included five fours and three sixes. Farhan was given two lives when Abhishek Sharma dropped his catches early in the innings—first at deep third without scoring and later at deep mid-wicket when he was on 32. Making full use of these chances, Farhan anchored Pakistan’s innings with a vital half-century.

Pakistan got off to an aggressive start as Fakhar Zaman and Farhan added 21 runs in just 2.3 overs. Fakhar, brought back to open after Sam Ayub’s repeated failures, fell to a controversial third-umpire decision. He was ruled out caught behind off Hardik Pandya, even though replays suggested the ball had touched the ground before reaching wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s gloves.

Farhan then shared a 72-run second-wicket partnership with Sam Ayub, who scored 21 runs off 17 balls with one four and one six. Hussain Talat managed only 10 runs. Despite reaching 91/1 in the first 10 overs, Pakistan struggled to accelerate in the latter half, which ultimately proved costly.

In the final overs, Mohammad Nawaz added 21 runs off 19 balls, while Faheem Ashraf contributed a quick 20 off 8 balls with one four and two sixes. Captain Salman Ali Agha remained unbeaten on 17 runs.

For India, Shivam Dube was the most effective bowler, taking 2 wickets for 33 runs in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya picked up one wicket each, while Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless, conceding 45 runs in his 4 overs. Notably, Pakistan had also lost to India by seven wickets in the group stage earlier in the tournament.

In the Super Four, Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first match on Saturday. The remaining fixtures are as follows: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on Tuesday, India vs Bangladesh on Wednesday, Bangladesh vs Pakistan on Thursday, and India vs Sri Lanka on Friday. The top two teams will advance to the final.