Abhishek Sharma blew away the Pakistani bowling as India registered their second win over them in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. This was the match in the Super Fours stage that was played in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. India had already defeated Pakistan in a Group A match a week before.
Pakistan had made 171/6 in 20 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring 58 and contributions from Saim Ayub and Faheem Ashraf.
In response, Abhishek Sharma started with a first-ball six off Shaheen Afridi and unleashed pyrotechnics of big shots against the Pakistani bowlers. Sharma made 74 in 39 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes, adding 105 runs with Shubman Gill for the opening wicket. Gill made 47 with 8 fours, as Pakistan got butchered in the first 10 overs.
While Pakistan tried to crawl back in the game with some wickets, Tilak Varma ensured that India crossed the finish line with ease and won the game by 6 wickets.
Former India spinner R Ashwin loved Abhishek Sharma’s entire innings but was floored by an inside-out cover drive that instantly sparked a comparison with two of India's World Cup-winning players—Yuvraj Singh, incidentally also the batter's mentor, and MS Dhoni.
The shot was taken on the fourth ball of the eighth over, when Saim Ayub bowled a tossed-up delivery full in the middle. Abhishek shuffled to the leg side, opened up his front leg, and flicked it through the extra cover, bringing up his half-century.
“Abhishek Sharma hit an inside-out MS Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive. Everybody will talk about the five sixes that he hit, but I want to talk about this cover drive because there was finesse in this shot. Despite only having one bat swing, he can adjust his downswing. If one batter, with one downswing, can make batting look so easy, then why will you not watch that batsman day in and day out?” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Abhishek has been India's finest performer in the Asia Cup thus far, making 173 runs at an impressive strike rate of 208.43.
Ashwin believed that, given Abhishek's skill in white-ball cricket, he may soon match his master, Yuvraj, and continue on his legacy.
“I want to tell you that this is not the arrival of Abhishek Sharma; this is just the beginning. He has just started, and he has a long future ahead. He is going to blow the cricketing world apart. Take that in writing. He has so much ability, just like how Yuvraj Singh became India’s marquee white-ball cricketer. The best white-ball batter in limited-overs cricket for India, he can reach that level easily. I think he is going to carry Yuvraj’s legacy forward; he is a phenomenal talent,” Ashwin said.
Abhishek will want to continue his good form when India takes on Bangladesh on Wednesday in their second Super Fours game in Dubai.
