India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided T20 Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai on Sunday night.
For Green shirts, it was a nightmare for regular batters and bowlers. Except Sahibzada Farhan, who was the highest scorer for the side with 40, no other REGULAR batter could make any significant contribution.
Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed more runs than the combined scores of skipper Salman Ali Agha, Hassan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz.
Shaheen Afridi’s 33 off 16 balls, laced with four towering sixes, helped Pakistan cross the 100-run mark and give some respectability to the team total.
Indian batters, especially Abhishek Sharma at the start, thrashed all regular bowlers while marching toward the victory target of 128 runs. Now it was a part-time bowler, Saim Ayub, who scored a golden duck, but was a standout performer with the ball.
His part-time off-spin claimed all three Indian wickets. His scalp included key batters, giving fans a brief glimmer of hope amid an otherwise one-sided contest. For Saim, it was not for the first time, as against Oman, he too made a golden duck but took two wickets.
These reversals of roles come to the spotlight on social media platforms. Fans also questioned the usual talk of modern cricket and so-called intent. They criticised PCB Chairman and Aqib Javed for kicking out former skipper Babar Azam and experienced wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan on the excuse of not fulfilling the requirements of modern cricket.
India down Pakistan by seven wickets in T20 Asia Cup 2025 match
