Asia Cup 2025: India’s Sharma, Gill Thrash Pakistan

The Men in Blue and the Green Shirts reignited their celebrated face-off in the 2nd Game of the Super Four stage at Dubai International Cricket Ground on September 21, 2025. Before a bustling crowd under the stadium lights, the Green Shirts recorded a respectable 171/5 in their full 20 overs after winning the coin toss and deciding to bat first. The Indian pursuit was commanded by dynamic opening batsmen Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who constructed a remarkable opening partnership to propel the Men in Blue to a six-wicket triumph with seven balls in reserve.

The Green Shirts register a strong total with Sahibzada Farhan’s resilient half-century

The Green Shirts initiated their innings strongly as Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman recovered rhythm after initial setbacks. Farhan’s 58 runs from 45 balls, which included five boundaries and three sixes, steadied the Green Shirts’ innings after Fakhar’s dismissal during the powerplay. Saim Ayub’s quick 21 runs and Mohammad Nawaz’s useful 21 provided support in the middle overs, assisting the Green Shirts in reaching 91/1 at the midway point. Nevertheless, inspired bowling adjustments from the Indian bowlers altered the momentum. Shivam Dube achieved two dismissals, removing Ayub and Farhan to disrupt a thriving 72-run partnership. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel subsequently controlled the middle overs, restricting the Green Shirts to 150/4 by the 18th over. Late, rapid contributions from Salman Agha (17*) and Faheem Ashraf (20*) empowered the Green Shirts to conclude with a competitive 171/5. Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep and Dube each secured two wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy enforced pressure with economical bowling spells.

Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill dismantle the Green Shirts’ bowling attack

When chasing 172 under the lights, the Indian opening pair burst from the starting blocks. Abhishek swiftly reached fifty runs from only 24 balls, hitting six fours and five maximums, while Gill supported him with a rapid 47 from 28 deliveries. Together, they accelerated to 105/0 by the ninth over, taking advantage of a weakening Green Shirts’ attack. The duo added a record opening stand of 105 in only 52 balls, exceeding the Men in Blue’s previous best against the Green Shirts in T20Is. Their aggressive strategy ensured the Men in Blue required only 67 runs from the remaining 62 balls at the halfway mark.

When Gill was dismissed by Faheem Ashraf in the tenth over, the Men in Blue still needed 67 runs but maintained control of the game. The exit of Suryakumar Yadav for zero runs proved insignificant as Abhishek and Tilak Varma (30* from 19) steered the run-chase towards victory. Abhishek scored 74 runs from 39 balls, marking one of the quickest half-centuries in Asia Cup Super Four history and earning him the title of Player of the Match. The Men in Blue achieved 174/4 in 18.5 overs, securing a six-wicket win with seven balls remaining and sustaining their Super Four aspirations.

With this commanding display, the Men in Blue reinforced their dominance over the Green Shirts in T20Is and strengthened their campaign for a spot in the Asia Cup final. The powerful innings from Abhishek and Gill emphasized the Men in Blue’s batting strength and provided a timely confidence boost for the Super Four phase.

Also WATCH: Abhishek Sharma executes a superb catch to dismiss Saim Ayub in IND versus PAK Super 4 match

Here’s what the fans expressed:

🇮🇳 The Men in Blue have now triumphed in their last 7 matches against the Green Shirts across all formats 💪👏🔥
Complete control 😎#AsiaCup #INDvPAK

Scorecard 👉 pic.twitter.com/PXk6sZMP63

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) September 21, 2025

Well done Team India 🇮🇳. You represent a class above the other participant teams.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) September 21, 2025