India annihilated Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2025 opener in Dubai on Sunday. They then went on to secure a resounding seven wicket victory to seal the series! This, in fact, is India’s second consecutive win in the World Cup over their arch-rivals, showing the men in blue’s dominance in the tournament. The semifinal was rife with political overtones, emblematic of the fierce competition between the two countries.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. That decision proved to be tactical genius. The squad continued to have a hard time establishing an intimidating bar. They were bundled for just 127 runs in their 20 overs. India’s bowling attack proved absolutely deadly, as their spinners took six wickets for only 50 runs in 10 overs, essentially putting the game away. Next to play the villainous role was Jasprit Bumrah, whose wicket of Mohammad Haris completely crippled the Pakistani innings.
The Pakistani innings found some momentum thanks to Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, who provided a brief revival. The Indian bowlers promptly arrested their momentum. Hardik Pandya took an amazing catch off the very first ball of the final, sending India on their way to the final in style.
Chasing a modest target of 128 runs, India began their chase with intent. Abhishek Sharma glittered up the scene with fireworks, scoring 31 runs in only 13 balls. He hit the first ball of the match for a four, smashing it to the boundary. Next, he deposited a quicker one over the cover fielder’s head for six, sending Indian aficionados into raptures. Suryakumar Yadav impressed the most, blasting 47 runs off just 37 balls. He finished the match off in style with a mammoth six to bring up the victory in the 16th over.
Despite Saim Ayub’s efforts as Pakistan’s sole wicket-taker, dismissing Shubman Gill for 10 and Tilak Varma for 31, India maintained control throughout the match. The depth of their batting and their smart play was simply too much for the Pakistani team.
In what has become a rather shocking post-match gesture, players from the Indian team simply did not shake hands with Pakistan. This decision shines a light on the continuing tensions between the two nations outside the field.
