India won their fifth consecutive match in the Asia Cup 2025.
All eyes were en route to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as Bangladesh took on India. There was something in the air for this fixture, as both the teams were unbeaten in their opening fixture of the Super 4s. While the Men in Blue defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh got the better of Sri Lanka in the opener. However, today’s hero was going to be Kuldeep Yadav.
Skipper Litton Das was ruled out of the fixture due to a side strain, and Jaker Ali led the side in Litton’s absence. To add to that, Bangladesh made four changes to their playing XI, which was surprising after they were coming from a victory in their last game.
Being put in to bat, India got off to a blazing start, thanks to Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill’s partnership. They took India to a total of 72/0 in the powerplay, to tear the Bangladeshi bowlers apart. After a few wickets tumbled, India found their way to a competitive 168/6 on the back of a steady 38 from Hardik Pandya towards the end.
Bangladesh got off to a steady start after losing one of their openers early. They made sure that they saw the powerplay off, with just one wicket down. But from that point, the Tigers kept losing wickets at regular intervals. India ended up dropping a heap of catches in the match, but were still able to hold on to a 41-run victory. With this, the Blues booked a berth in the Final of the tournament. The Bangladesh-Pakistan fixture just got a lot more interesting!
The Men in Blue are putting across a strong statement right at the beginning of their batting innings. With the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill taking bowlers to the cleaners, brisk starts are the least they can ask for. Both the batters from Punjab display a fearless approach to their batting, and this is what the Blues thrive on, in the powerplay.
In the match against Bangladesh, they raced off to a superb start, once again. After a glum first two overs, Abhishek and Gill accelerated beautifully to take India’s score to 72/0 in the powerplay. The Indian Test skipper was dismissed for 29 off 19 deliveries, but his partner kept going at the other end.
However, Abhishek was dismissed in an unlucky manner. The youngster was involved in a run-out with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, and had to walk back after scoring a quick 75 off just 37 deliveries. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener had a chance to get to his third international ton. But this innings will give him a lot of confidence.
One move that is helping the Indians go berserk at the top is the depth in their batting order. The Men in Blue are stacked up with their batting till eight, which gives them the luxury to take calculated risks at the top. If at all they end up losing wickets in clusters, the Blues would still be in a good position to steady the ship.
The fact that India got off to an ‘Abhishek’ start would be enough to set a target of a minimum of 200 in one’s mind. At the end of the powerplay, it seemed easily possible. The Indians had momentum on their side and fuel in their wings. Additionally, having all the wickets in hand after the six-over mark would be one of the most ideal situations for a team to accelerate, considering their depth.
But what unfolded might have put the Indians on the backfoot for a bit. In a fantastic display of controlled bowling, the Bangladeshis managed to pull the scoring down down with two quick wickets of Gill and Shivam Dube. Moreover, the Indians made a bold move by sending Dube ahead of the likes of Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma. Though the move did not reap rewards, the intent behind it was in the right place.
After the series of wickets pushed India back, Hardik Pandya stood firm on the crease with a steady knock of 38 off 29 deliveries. This knock took India to a competitive total and gave the bowlers something to bowl at. What will worry the Indians is the form of their skipper. He has not been able to make an impact in the tournament so far. Apart from Hardik and Abhishek, none of the batters could get going.
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Bangladesh got off to a steady start. They were 44/1 in the powerplay. But little did they know that their backs were soon going to be against the wall. Kuldeep Yadav sent Parvez Emon back in the hut almost immediately, to pull the strings on Bangladesh. However, opener Saif Hassan stayed in the middle till the dying moments of the game, and ensured that he gave the Tigers a ray of hope.
However, as it is the case many times, Kuldeep Yadav was the difference between the two sides. The left-arm spinner bagged a handsome three-wicket haul in his quota of four overs and put the brakes on Bangladesh. Two of those wickets came in his last over on successive deliveries. However, India had a bad day holding onto their catches and lost out on many opportunities. They will have to make sure that they hold on to their chances.
Kuldeep Yadav did not only pick wickets, but also stemmed the run-flow of the Tigers. Controlling the middle-overs is where the game lies in the T20 format, and that is where bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav make a difference. Hassan was dismissed for a splendid 69 off 51 deliveries. His knock kept Bangladesh in the game till the very end.
But unfortunately, the Tigers will have to stay in the middle of the points table, with one win in two games. However, their fixture against Pakistan becomes all the more important, with both the teams needing the victory desperately.
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