Asia Cup 2025: India defeat Pakistan by 7 wickets

Bhubaneswar : 

India registered a commanding seven-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Group A clash of the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Chasing 128, India reached the target in just 15.5 overs, thanks to captain Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 47 off 37 balls and Tilak Varma’s steady 31 off 31 balls. The duo ensured a comfortable win with 25 balls remaining.

Earlier, Pakistan, after winning the toss and opting to bat, were restricted to 127/9. Their batting lineup failed to gain momentum against India’s disciplined bowling attack.

India’s spinners dominated proceedings as Kuldeep Yadav claimed 3/18, Axar Patel picked 2/18, and Varun Chakaravarthy took 1/24. Together, the spin trio accounted for six wickets, effectively dismantling Pakistan’s batting.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40 runs, while Shaheen Shah Afridi remained unbeaten on 33, but the rest of the batting order faltered against India’s bowlers.

India had earlier thrashed the UAE by nine wickets in their opening match, while Pakistan came into the clash after a comfortable 93-run win over Oman.