Kuldeep Yadav’s 3/18 dismantled Pakistan as they managed only 127/9 despite Shaheen Afridi’s late 33*.
Abhishek Sharma provided a blazing start with 31 off 13, supported by Tilak Varma’s composed 31.
Suryakumar Yadav anchored the chase with an unbeaten 47 off 37, finishing the game with a maximum.
India once again made light work of Pakistan in a T20I, sealing a dominant 7-wicket win with 25 balls to spare in Dubai. The contest barely looked balanced after the first few overs, with the Men in Blue bossing proceedings from start to finish.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav marked his birthday with an unbeaten 47, finishing the chase in style with a massive six.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first but were on the back foot right from the start. Hardik Pandya struck with the first legal delivery of the innings to remove Saim Ayub for a duck, before Jasprit Bumrah accounted for Mohammad Haris.
Despite some resistance from Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 44), the innings never gathered momentum. Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) spun a web around the middle order, while Bumrah and Axar Patel picked up two wickets apiece as Pakistan limped to 127/9. A late blitz from Shaheen Afridi (33* off 16) saved them from complete embarrassment.
Chasing 128, India began aggressively. Abhishek Sharma blazed his way to 31 off just 13 balls, striking boundaries at will before falling to Saim Ayub, who also dismissed Shubman Gill and later Tilak Varma to finish with three wickets. But the target was too modest to create real pressure. Tilak chipped in with a steady 31, while Shivam Dube added the finishing touches with a towering six.
The night, however, belonged to Suryakumar Yadav. Calm and composed throughout, the Indian captain anchored the chase with a well-paced 47* off 37 deliveries, and fittingly ended the game with a maximum.
India’s second win in as many matches of the Asia Cup underlined their superiority, with Pakistan once again left searching for answers in this storied rivalry.
