Dubai: In a high-voltage Asia Cup Super Four encounter, India defeated Pakistan in Dubai to stay in contention for the tournament’s top spot. Winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav opted to bowl first. The toss drew attention as Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan captain. Both sides made two changes to their line-ups, with India bringing in Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, and Pakistan including Hussain Talat and Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan posted 171 for 5 in their 20 overs, with opener Sahibzada Farhan leading the charge with a 58-run knock off 45 balls, including three sixes and five fours. Other notable contributions came from Faheem Ashraf (20\*), Sim Ayub (21), Nawaz (21), Fakhar Zaman (15), and Salman (17\*). Shivam Dube took two wickets for India, while Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav picked up one each.
In response, India started aggressively, with openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill putting together a strong partnership and reaching 100 in just 10 overs. However, quick wickets, including Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (duck), and Sharma, slowed the chase. Abhishek Verma scored 74 before being dismissed. Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson stabilized the innings, with Varma playing a match-winning knock to guide India to victory, finishing the chase with a boundary and a six.
The win reinforces India’s strong performance in the Super Four stage as they aim for a spot in the Asia Cup final.