The high-stakes Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match between India and Pakistan in Dubai witnessed an early moment of drama when Abhishek Sharma dropped a catch in the very first over. The missed opportunity gave Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan a significant reprieve.
The incident occurred off the bowling of Hardik Pandya. Farhan, having faced just a couple of deliveries, top-edged a ball that headed towards the third-man boundary. Abhishek Sharma, usually a reliable fielder, misjudged the catch, failing to secure what appeared to be a straightforward opportunity.
Commentators were critical of Sharma's effort, with Ravi Shastri remarking, "He made a real mess of it". Waqar Younis added that Sharma was slow to react and seemed unaware of the ball's trajectory. Hardik Pandya's visible displeasure further highlighted the significance of the error.
Prior to the match, there was anticipation surrounding Abhishek Sharma's potential impact, especially after visuals emerged of him hitting big sixes in the nets. Known for his aggressive batting and handy left-arm spin, Sharma has become a prominent figure in Indian cricket. He made his international debut in July 2024 and quickly rose to prominence, even becoming the number one ranked T20I batter in 2025. However, this fielding lapse in a crucial game against Pakistan has put him under scrutiny.
Despite the dropped catch, the Indian bowlers aimed to replicate their group-stage performance where they restricted Pakistan to a modest score. India won the toss and elected to field, making two changes to their lineup, bringing in Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah. Pakistan, led by Salman Agha, also made changes, including altering their batting order by demoting Saim Ayub.
Following the dropped catch, Pakistan managed to capitalize during the powerplay, with India's fielding appearing uncharacteristically sloppy. Kuldeep Yadav also dropped a catch, compounding India's woes.
The Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 stage features India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. These teams qualified after topping their respective groups in the group stage. The Super 4 format follows a round-robin system, where each team plays the other three once. The top two teams from this stage will then advance to the final, scheduled for September 28 in Dubai.
Bangladesh secured a win against Sri Lanka in the first Super 4 match. The India vs Pakistan match is the second game of this stage. The Super 4 matches are held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 20 to September 26.
