Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill Star as India Beat Pakistan by Six Wickets in Asia Cup Super Four Clash

A fiery 105-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill powered India to a confident six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan, chasing down 172 with ease in Dubai.

Dubai [UAE], September 22 — India once again proved their dominance over Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Four stage, pulling off a thrilling six-wicket victory on Sunday in Dubai. Riding on Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 74 off 39 balls and vice-captain Shubman Gill’s fluent 47 off 28, India chased down Pakistan’s 171/5 with seven balls to spare, sending a strong message as they continue their campaign.

Abhishek, Gill Silence Pakistan with Batting Fireworks

India’s chase began in electric fashion. On the very first ball, Abhishek Sharma hammered Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six and didn’t hold back from exchanging a few words with the left-arm pacer. Shubman Gill joined the charge soon after, cracking successive boundaries off Saim Ayub and then taking on Shaheen with two more fours.

Gill’s gesture pointing to where his shot raced past extra cover evoked memories of the heated Aamer Sohail–Venkatesh Prasad face-off in the 1996 World Cup, this time with the roles reversed.

The momentum only grew stronger. Abhishek and Gill tore into Pakistan’s attack, racing to 69/0 inside the powerplay. Abhishek brought up his fifty in just 24 balls, smashing six fours and four towering sixes. Together, the duo added 105 runs in just 8.4 overs, effectively knocking Pakistan out of the contest.

Gill fell to Faheem Ashraf for 47, and Suryakumar Yadav departed cheaply, but Abhishek continued his onslaught — including a monstrous 91-metre six off Abrar Ahmed — before falling for a brilliant 74. His innings, full of fearless strokeplay, underlined his growing stature in India’s T20 setup.

Tilak Varma, Hardik Seal the Win

After Abhishek’s dismissal, Tilak Varma (30 off 19)* and Hardik Pandya (7)* calmly finished the job. Tilak smashed a 92-metre straight six off Shaheen Afridi and followed it up with a boundary to wrap up the chase in 18.5 overs at 174/4, sealing another memorable win over Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Fighting Total Despite Dropped Chances

Earlier, Pakistan rode on Sahibzada Farhan’s gritty 58 off 45 balls and a late cameo from Faheem Ashraf to post 171/5 — their highest total against India batting first in T20Is.

India’s sloppy fielding helped Pakistan’s cause, with four dropped catches and several misfields. Abhishek Sharma, in particular, had a forgettable time in the field, dropping Farhan twice before finally catching Saim Ayub.

Farhan’s powerful strokeplay, including three sixes, kept Pakistan in the game, while Faheem’s late assault (including a big six off Pandya in the final over) pushed the score to a competitive 171.

But despite their fight, Pakistan’s bowling lacked answers to India’s aggressive openers. Haris Rauf emerged as their best bowler, finishing with 2/26, while Shaheen and Abrar were taken apart.

Brief Scores

Pakistan: 171/5 (Sahibzada Farhan 58, Saim Ayub 21; Shivam Dube 2/33)
India: 174/4 in 18.5 overs (Abhishek Sharma 74, Shubman Gill 47; Haris Rauf 2/26)
Result: India won by 6 wickets

A Statement Victory

For India, this victory was more than just two points. It reaffirmed their dominance over Pakistan in crunch matches and showcased the promise of young stars like Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. For Pakistan, it was another night of missed opportunities, both with the bat and in the field.