As the highly anticipated Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan approaches, the pressure is mounting on India's star opener, Abhishek Sharma. Former Pakistani fast bowling legends Waqar Younis and Mohammad Amir have weighed in on strategies to counter Sharma's explosive batting, adding a psychological dimension to the already intense rivalry.
Abhishek Sharma has been in phenomenal form throughout the Asia Cup 2025, emerging as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 309 runs in six innings at an impressive strike rate of 204.63. His aggressive approach and consistent performances have made him a key player for India, with many attributing India's strong starts to his batting prowess. Sharma's dominance is further highlighted by his three consecutive fifties in the Super Four stage.
Waqar Younis, known for his lethal yorkers, acknowledged Abhishek Sharma's talent but emphasized that every batter has weaknesses. He advised Pakistani bowlers to exploit the pressure of the final and target Sharma early. "Abhishek is a real talent and can take the game away in the first few overs, but everyone has a weakness, and although he is in a good knick, there always comes a bad day, maybe it's on Sunday," Waqar told Telecom Asia Sport. He suggested that the pressure of the final could be a significant factor, potentially leading to a mistake from the young opener.
Mohammad Amir echoed Waqar's sentiments, suggesting that Pakistani bowlers should prevent Sharma from freely swinging his arms by bowling within the stumps. Amir recommended targeting Sharma's stumps with swinging deliveries, aiming to induce an edge. "I think a good bowler should not allow him to open his arms by bowling within the stumps," Amir told www.telecomasia.net. "Bowl a swinging delivery four to five metres from the stumps, which may force an edge. Swing within the stumps and I have seen Mitchell Starc getting him out in the IPL with an out-swinger from the middle and off". Amir also suggested using slower deliveries, as Sharma's "hard hands" might lead to mistimed shots.
Other former Pakistani cricketers have also offered their insights. Mohammad Asif stressed the importance of consistency and reading the batter's mindset. He advised bowling three consecutive deliveries at the same spot, anticipating Sharma's dismissal on the third attempt if he fails to adapt. Asif also criticized Shaheen Shah Afridi's strategy of starting with a bouncer against Sharma in a previous encounter.
Wasim Akram advised Shaheen Afridi to vary his length and move the ball from the back of a length to disrupt Sharma's rhythm. He noted that Afridi's full-length deliveries in previous matches had not troubled the Indian opener.
Sunil Gavaskar has expressed confidence in Abhishek Sharma's ability to perform in the final, stating that he is unlikely to let the opportunity slip. Gavaskar believes Sharma is aiming for a big innings, possibly even a century. He also reassured that even if Sharma fails, the Indian batting lineup is strong enough to compensate.
Despite the pressure and scrutiny, Abhishek Sharma stands on the verge of breaking multiple T20I records. He needs just 11 runs to surpass Virat Kohli's record for the most runs by an Indian in a multi-nation T20I tournament and 23 runs to break Phil Salt's record for the most runs by a batter from a Test-playing nation in a T20I tournament or series. Additionally, another score of 30 or more would put him ahead of Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Rizwan for consecutive 30-plus scores in T20s.
As the Asia Cup final approaches, all eyes will be on Abhishek Sharma as he faces the challenge of Pakistan's formidable bowling attack. The strategies and psychological pressure tactics employed by former Pakistani legends add another layer of intrigue to this high-stakes encounter.
