Asia Cup 2025: Kuldeep & Axar Spin Web, Abhishek & SKY Power India to Easy Win Over Pakistan

 Dubai, September 15, 2025 – India made a strong statement in the Asia Cup 2025 as they crushed arch-rivals Pakistan by 7 wickets in Dubai. The win once again highlighted India’s superiority in India vs Pakistan T20 clashes, with the Men in Blue now leading 11-3 in head-to-head meetings.

India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy completely strangled Pakistan’s batting, restricting them to just 127/9 in 20 overs. In reply, India’s young guns Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma, along with the experienced Suryakumar Yadav, ensured a smooth chase with 25 balls to spare.

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Pakistan’s Innings – Strangled by Spin

Pakistan’s batting never looked settled after losing early wickets.

• Powerplay: Hardik Pandya struck with the very first ball to dismiss Saim Ayub for a duck. Jasprit Bumrah then removed Mohammad Haris, leaving Pakistan reeling. Sahibzada Farhan tried to counterattack with a couple of sixes off Bumrah, but the momentum didn’t last. Pakistan reached 42/2 in the first six overs.

• Middle Overs: This was where India completely dominated. Runs dried up as Kuldeep and Axar bowled with accuracy. Pakistan managed only 36 runs in the middle 10 overs, losing four key wickets. Kuldeep’s double strike – dismissing Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz off consecutive deliveries – broke Pakistan’s backbone.

• Death Overs: Thanks to *Shaheen Afridi’s late fireworks (33 off 16 balls)**, Pakistan managed to cross 120. He smashed a couple of sixes against Kuldeep and Hardik, but the total of 127/9 still looked well below par.

👉 Top Scorers for Pakistan:

• Sahibzada Farhan – 40 (43)

• Shaheen Afridi – 33* (16)

👉 Best Bowlers for India:

• Kuldeep Yadav – 3/18

• Axar Patel – 2/18

• Jasprit Bumrah – 2/28

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India’s Chase – Abhishek’s Fire, SKY’s Finish

Chasing 128, India came out with intent.

• Powerplay: Abhishek Sharma made his intentions clear by smashing Shaheen Afridi for a four and six off the first two balls. He went on to score a quick 31 off 13 deliveries, setting the tone. Shubman Gill added some classy boundaries before falling to Ayub, who surprisingly ended with 3/35. India reached a commanding 61/2 in six overs.

• Middle Overs: With the chase under control, India rotated the strike smartly. Tilak Varma (31) built a steady partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, who was at his fluent best. SKY swept and drove Pakistan’s spinners with ease, remaining unbeaten on 47 off 32 balls. Shivam Dube added a six to seal the victory.

👉 India’s Key Batters:

• Suryakumar Yadav – 47* (32)

• Abhishek Sharma – 31 (13)

• Tilak Varma – 31 (29)

India finished at 131/3 in 15.5 overs, winning by 7 wickets with more than 4 overs left.

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Match Summary

Pakistan – 127/9 (20 overs)

• Farhan 40, Afridi 33*

• Kuldeep 3/18, Axar 2/18

India – 131/3 (15.5 overs)

• Suryakumar 47*, Abhishek 31

• Ayub 3/35

Result: India won by 7 wickets.

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What’s Next?

• India will face Oman on September 19, aiming to top the group and enter the Super Four in style.

• Pakistan must beat UAE on September 17 to stay alive in the tournament.

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Key Takeaways

• Kuldeep Yadav continues his dominance in T20Is with another match-winning spell.

• India’s batting depth proved too strong for Pakistan once again.

• The rivalry stands at India 11 – Pakistan 3 in T20 internationals.