Dubai: India produced a commanding performance to thrash arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 league encounter at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan were restricted to a modest 127 for 9 as India’s spinners dismantled their batting order. Kuldeep Yadav led the charge with a brilliant 3 for 18, while Axar Patel (2 for 18) and Varun Chakravarthy (1 for 24) applied relentless pressure through the middle overs.
Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah struck early blows to leave Pakistan reeling at 6 for 2, and despite a fighting 40 from opener Sahibzada Farhan and a late cameo from Shaheen Afridi (33 not out off 20 balls), Pakistan never recovered momentum.
Chasing 128, India’s openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill gave a brisk start, with Abhishek smashing 31 off 19 balls before falling with the score at 41. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings with an unbeaten 47, ably supported by Tilak Varma (31) and Shivam Dube (10 not out).
India notch up their second win of the Asia Cup in style 👏#INDvPAK 📝: https://t.co/8loFQqXKKO pic.twitter.com/iabrOqgJh7
— ICC (@ICC) September 14, 2025
India sealed victory in just 15.5 overs, with Suryakumar hammering a towering six to finish the chase in style. The win was greeted by loud celebrations from a near-capacity crowd, dominated by Indian supporters.
Beyond the scoreboard, the match carried a heavy political shadow. Calls for a boycott had emerged after the Pahalgam terror attack in April, in which 26 people were killed. Despite the protests, the game proceeded, drawing an estimated 85 percent Indian crowd to the stands.
Tensions were evident on the field, with both captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha, declining to shake hands before and after the match, breaking a long-standing cricketing tradition. The rest of the Indian team followed suit, choosing not to greet their Pakistani counterparts even at the presentation.
This was the first India–Pakistan clash since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, making the game politically charged. While opposition parties in India, including Shiv Sena (UBT), had urged a boycott, the match went ahead under tight security.
