Kuldeep and Abhishek shine as India sweep aside Pakistan with ruthless 7-wicket victory

Highlights:

• India thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets to go 11–3 ahead in T20I head-to-heads.
  
• Kuldeep Yadav’s 3/18 led a dominant bowling display, with Axar Patel and Bumrah adding two wickets each.
  
• Abhishek Sharma’s fearless hitting against Shaheen Afridi set the tone in the chase.
  
• Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 47 sealed the win with more than four overs to spare.
  
• Pakistan’s batting faltered, with 63 dot balls and only 128 on the board.
  

India dismantled Pakistan in ruthless fashion at the Asia Cup on Sunday, cruising to a seven-wicket victory in a clash that once again underlined the gulf between the two sides. With Kuldeep Yadav leading the bowling charge and Abhishek Sharma blazing at the top, India barely broke a sweat to extend their T20I record over Pakistan to 11–3.

Hardik, Bumrah strike early

The tone was set immediately when Hardik Pandya dismissed Saim Ayub with the first legal ball of the match. Bumrah, as relentless as ever, removed Mohammad Haris soon after, though Sahibzada Farhan briefly resisted with a rare show of aggression against the world’s most feared quick, striking him for two sixes.

At 42 for 2 after the powerplay, Pakistan had a platform — but it quickly crumbled.

Spin strangle as Kuldeep and Axar dominate

India’s spinners shut the door completely after the power play. Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha fell to desperate slogs, while Kuldeep Yadav unfurled his wrong’un to trap Mohammad Nawaz first ball. Pakistan crawled to just 12 runs in 31 balls during this spell, their innings suffocated into submission.

Farhan battled to 40 off 43 but perished at the death, leaving Shaheen Shah Afridi’s spirited 33* off 16 as the lone highlight in an otherwise dismal total of 127 for 9.

Abhishek’s fearless start, Suryakumar’s finish

Pakistan’s flicker of hope was extinguished almost instantly. Abhishek Sharma smashed Shaheen for four and six off his first two deliveries, a statement that India were in no mood for drama. Shubman Gill joined in with successive boundaries, and though Ayub struck back with two wickets, India had already raced away.

Tilak Varma added a steady 31 before falling, but Suryakumar Yadav anchored the chase with a commanding unbeaten 47. Shivam Dube provided late support, and the target was overhauled with 25 balls to spare.

A one-sided rivalry grows wider

This was more than a win; it was another emphatic reminder of India’s dominance. While Pakistan’s bowlers searched for answers and their batters stumbled through dot-ball pressure, India’s all-round strength shone. From the first ball to the final stroke, it was one-way traffic, and the head-to-head now reads 11–3.