Abhishek Sharma hit Shaheen Afridi for a first-ball six during the Asia cup match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

India’s chase in the Asia Cup Super Four clash against Pakistan got off to a fiery start on Sunday when Abhishek Sharma hit the very first delivery of the innings for six at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Facing Shaheen Afridi, Abhishek smashed on a short ball down the leg side and got a top-edge that carried all the way behind the wicketkeeper Haris Rauf. The sensational hit not only opened India’s innings in emphatic fashion but also set the tone for a heated exchange between the two players.

There were words exchanged immediately after the six, adding intensity to what was already a high-pressure match. In the earlier group-stage meeting of the tournament, Abhishek had attacked Shaheen’s very first ball too, charging down and striking him straight back for four. This time, the approach was just as aggressive, with an even better six to show for it. The hit also landed Abhishek in a rare club. He became only the fourth Indian to clear the ropes with the very first ball of a T20I innings. Rohit Sharma was the first to achieve the feat, against Adil Rashid in Ahmedabad in 2021. The only others to do it are:

For Abhishek, the Dubai hit carried even more significance as it came against Pakistan’s spearhead Afridi. Moreover, Shaheen Afridi has opened the bowling in T20Is on 70 occasions, which is the second-most for any bowler from a Full Member nation. Abhishek Sharma became the first batter to hit him for a six off the very first ball of his spell. Pakistan’s innings earlier in the evening had ended at 171/5 from 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan anchored with a 58 off 45 balls, while cameos from Faheem Ashraf (20 unbeaten off 8) and Salman Agha (17 unbeaten off 13) lifted the total in the final overs. For India, Shivam Dube picked up two wickets, including Farhan and Saim Ayub, while Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya also chipped in.

With Abhishek’s early blow, India sent a strong message of their intent in pursuit of a testing 172-run target set by their opponents.