Dubai: Abhishek Sharma’s family were left both proud and emotional after his run-out dismissal denied the opener a maiden international century in India’s 41-run win over Bangladesh in a Super 4 stage match of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.
His sister, Komal Sharma, admitted they were “a little hurt” by the moment but insisted that “it’s loading, he’s gonna make a century soon”.
“It’s okay, it’s a part of the game to be honest, but yes, today’s dismissal was a little hurtful as it was a run out. But yes, it’s loading, it’s loading, guys, he’s gonna make a century soon,” Komal Sharma, Abhishek’s sister, told IANS after the match.
She added that Abhishek always listens to his mentor Yuvraj Singh, saying, “As sir will say, we have to follow that and he has to follow that, that’s all. Yes, of course, he is always there with him, telling him everything. He gets all the instructions before and after the match, how he did it and how he didn’t do it.”
Komal Sharma said Abhishek called his mother his “lucky charm” and said the team’s collective form mattered most. “It’s okay, he’s still winning, he’s playing well. It felt really good, the whole team is playing well, everyone is praying for him to play well,” she said.
Looking ahead, she kept the focus on India’s bigger goal: “Finally, we just want the trophy home and we are wishing all the team members of Team India to do their best and win the trophy home.”
On the field, Abhishek played a scintillating knock of 75 off 39 deliveries to set up India’s 41-run win and secure their place in the Asia Cup final.
His 75 not only powered India but also took him past his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s tally for the most T20I innings by an Indian with five or more sixes. He now has six such knocks, behind only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar (9). He also set a new Asia Cup record, hitting 17 sixes in the 2025 edition — the most ever in a single tournament across formats.
Put in to bat after Bangladesh’s stand-in skipper Jaker Ali won the toss, India raced to 72/0 in the Power-play thanks to Abhishek and Shubman Gill (29 off 19). The left-hander continued to dominate, striking cleanly before being brilliantly run out by Rishad Hossain, falling short of a century for the second straight match.
India’s innings lost momentum after his dismissal. Suryakumar Yadav made only 5, Tilak Varma managed the same, and Shivam Dube contributed just 2. Hardik Pandya, however, steadied the innings with 38 off 29 balls, while Axar Patel added an unbeaten 10 off 15, guiding India to 168/6. Rishad Hossain (2-27) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (1-29) bowled effectively to contain the Indian middle order.
Bangladesh’s chase hinged almost entirely on opener Saif Hassan, who struck 69 off 51 balls but was dropped thrice — by Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson. He added 42 runs with Parvez Hossain Emon (21 off 19), but the middle order collapsed against India’s spinners. Kuldeep Yadav led the charge with 3-18, Varun Chakravarthy took 2-29, and Jasprit Bumrah bounced back superbly with 2-18. Axar claimed 1-37, while Tilak Varma finished the innings by dismissing Mustafizur Rahman as Bangladesh folded for 127.
With their fifth straight win, India sealed their place in the final. Sri Lanka have been knocked out, leaving Bangladesh and Pakistan to battle it out in a virtual semifinal for the remaining spot in the summit clash.
(IANS)
