Dubai: Like Swedish pole-vault superstar Mondo Duplantis, this Indian T20 side keeps raising the bar with every outing. Such has been their dominance in the shortest format that, since their 2024 World Cup triumph, they racked up 21 wins against just three defeats — the latest coming against Bangladesh in a Super 4 Asia Cup clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday. India’s bowlers delivered the win after Bangladesh staged a spirited fightback to restrict the World Champions to 168/6. Kuldeep Yadav (3-18), Jasprit Bumrah (2-18), and Varun Chakravarthy (2-29) ripped through the batting lineup, bowling Bangladesh out for 127 to seal a 41-run win for India. Opener Saif Hassan, who was dropped four times — twice in Chakravarthy’s fourth over — top-scored with 69, smashing five sixes, the most by any Bangladeshi batter in the match. But India were far from perfect, with five dropped catches leaving the coaching staff frustrated. Apart from Hassan, only Parvez Hossain Emon (21) managed to reach double figures for the Tigers. With the win, India stormed into the title clash while Bangladesh will face Pakistan on Thursday in a virtual semifinal for the remaining final berth. Earlier, the Indian openers — Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill — set a blistering pace, amassing 72 runs in the powerplay, but a spirited fightback led by Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain turned the tide. The Bangladesh bowlers kept the dynamic Indian pair relatively quiet early on, and unlike in the previous matches, the first boundary of the innings came only on the tenth ball — a streaky four through offside from Abhishek off left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Abhishek enjoyed a reprieve on seven when Bangladesh’s stand-in wicketkeeper and captain Jaker Ali put down a tough chance off Tanzim Hasan Sakib’s bowling. Gill looked to break the shackles in the fourth over, smashing Nasum for a six and a four. The Punjab pair plundered 55 runs between overs three and six as India raced to 72 by the end of the powerplay, their highest thus far in the continental event.
India were cruising at 96/1 at the halfway mark but lost momentum after Gill’s dismissal for 29 (19 balls, 2×4, 1×6) in the seventh over. The Indian Test captain fell to Rishad, miscuing a lofted shot into the hands of Tanzim at long-off. The decision to promote Shivam Dube backfired as he was dismissed for two in the ninth over, giving Rishad his second wicket. The leg-spinner then produced a gamechanging moment with a brilliant runout of Abhishek at backward point. Abhishek, who was in sublime touch — smashing five sixes and six boundaries en route to his 37-ball 75 — was sent back by captain Suryakumar Yadav while attempting a quick single. Rishad, stationed at backward point, dived to his right and fired a direct throw to bowler Mustafizur Rahman, catching the opener short of his crease. Abhishek became the first Indian batter since Virat Kohli to score back-to-back half-centuries in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh were razor-sharp in the field and likely saved between 10–15 runs through their athletic efforts. Abhishek’s dismissal decisively shifted the momentum, as India — who looked set for a 200-plus total — faltered in the middle overs.
