Wednesday 24 / September / 2025
DUBAI: Opener Abhishek Sharma came up with another sensational knock to power India to a dominating 41-run win over Bangladesh in a Super Four match and seal a spot in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
The second successive win in the Super Fours meant that India had collected four points with a game to spare against Sri Lanka on Friday. Bangladesh will now take on Pakistan in a knockout clash on Thursday to decide the other finalists with both teams currently with two points each.
Chasing 169 to win, Bangladesh were restricted to 127 in 19.3 overs.
Except for Bangladesh opener Saif Hassan, who was dropped on more than a couple of occasions and top scored with 51-ball 69, no other batter could offer any resistance.
Opener Tanzid Hasan was sent back by Jasprit Bumrah in his first over and though Saif and Parvez Hossain Emon negotiated the powerplay, Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand soon after at 46.
Thereafter, wickets fell at regular interval as Bangladesh slumped to 112/8 with Kuldeep, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel among wickets.
Bumrah dismissed Saif Hassan in the 18th over as Bangladesh ended were bowled out for 127.
Kuldeep with 3/18 was the pick of bowlers while Bumrah (2/18), and Varun (2/29) were among wickets along with Axar (1/37) and Tilak Varma (1/1).
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma continued his magnificent tournament, following up his 39-ball 74 against Pakistan with a 37-ball 75, but Bangladesh still held India to a total of 168 for 6 after sending them in.
India's innings followed a pattern not unlike Pakistan's against their bowlers on Sunday: a strong start followed by a dramatic slowdown when the ball became older and harder to time. India scored 95 runs in overs 4-11, when Abhishek ran rampant, and just 73 runs in the 12 overs either side of that stretch.
Bangladesh made things difficult for Abhishek and Shubman Gill with new-ball swing in the first three overs, and then by varying their pace and using the grip on offer when the ball got old. In between, Abhishek played an incandescent innings, hitting five sixes to jump up to joint No. 7 on India's all-time T20I six-hitting charts. He has now hit 58 sixes in just 21 innings; Suresh Raina, with whom he drew level, hit 58 in 66 innings.
It's a different sport now, and Abhishek lives on its cutting edge, and Bangladesh seemed to have no answers when he was cutting their bowling to ribbons. They could, however, have dismissed him for 7 off 8 in the third over, had the wicketkeeper held on to an edge off Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who came into an XI with as many as four changes and bowled brilliantly with the new ball, swinging it prodigiously while also hitting the deck hard.
The wicketkeeper who shelled that chance - and Bangladesh's captain on the night - was Jaker Ali, standing in for Litton Das who was ruled out with a side strain.
That miss seemed to be costing Bangladesh dearly when India were 112 for 2 at the start of the 12th over. But a brilliant bit of fielding from Rishad Hossain - diving to his left to stop a dab from Suryakumar Yadav and springing up, ready to throw, in one motion - sent Abhishek back, run out, and changed the complexion of the game. India only scored 56 runs across their last nine overs. Hardik Pandya - who was out off the last ball of the innings for 38 off 29, did the bulk of the scoring.
Their slide looked worse for coming against the backdrop of batting-order changes that didn't come off on the day. India promoted Shivam Dube to No. 3, and sent in Hardik, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel above Sanju Samson, who did not get to bat at all.
With batting usually a little easier in the second innings in Dubai, Bangladesh have a genuine chance of tripping India up and firming up their hopes of getting into Sunday's final.
