India advanced to the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here after defeating Bangladesh by 41 runs in a Super 4 stage match. India swept out Bangladesh for 127 in 19.3 overs after they had scored 168 in the allotted overs. Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah each took two wickets, but Kuldeep Yadav took three. Saif Hassan used 51 balls to score 69 runs. Earlier, Abhishek Sharma ignited India’s batting attack against Bangladesh with a scorching performance, scoring 75 off just 37 balls to help the side reach 168/6 in 20 overs.
In addition to giving India a strong start, the left-hander’s assault broke the record held by his guru, Yuvraj Singh, for the most T20I innings by an Indian player with five or more sixes. Abhishek now has six of these knocks, second only to Suryakumar Yadav (9 and Rohit Sharma 13). In the 2025 edition, he smashed 17 sixes, the highest ever in a single event across all formats, setting a new Asia Cup record. India came out fire in the Power-play after stand-in Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali won the toss and was put in to bat first.
Before Abhishek changed tactics and punished anything loose, Shubman Gill started working early. India started strongly against Bangladesh, racing to 72/0 in 6 overs, led by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 75. However, Bangladesh fought back after the Power-play, with Rishad Hossain’s breakthrough and sharp fielding turning the tide. India lost momentum in the middle overs, managing only 70 runs in the final 10. Despite Hardik Pandya’s steady 38, India finished at 168/6 in 20 overs. Rishad Hossain starred for Bangladesh with 2 wickets and a crucial run-out.
