Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq heaped praise on India’s opening batter Abhishek Sharma after his blistering knock against Pakistan in the Super 4 clash of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 21.
Abhishek played a match-winning innings of 74 runs off 39 balls, setting the tone for India’s successful chase of 172. The 25-year-old dismantled Pakistan’s bowling attack, which featured Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed, and guided India to a six-wicket win.
The left-hander had been contributing with short cameos throughout the tournament, but this time converted his start into a commanding innings. His stroke play left even the Pakistani camp impressed, with Misbah highlighting his calmness and skill in such a high-pressure contest
“The kind of skill level and temperament he has is amazing. First time against Pakistan, it did not look like he was under pressure. Looked like he was playing in the nets. When the ball lands in the zone, he just calmly sends it away,” Misbah said while speaking on Tapmad after the game.
The former skipper also pointed out how Abhishek took on Pakistan’s frontline bowlers at key stages, easing the task for his teammates. “The most important thing is that he always tries to take on the main bowler to put them under pressure. That really disrupts the team,” Misbah added.
He further explained that Abhishek’s attacking play is not just about blind hitting but comes with a deep awareness of match situations. Misbah stressed that the youngster showed respect to the good deliveries while punishing anything loose.
“The main weapon for a fast bowler is the hard length. But if there is width, then you are punished. Shaheen tried hitting those hard lengths and Abhishek did respect those. But once the ball went short or full, he just made room and smacked it,” Misbah explained.
India’s win over Pakistan pushed them closer to a place in the Asia Cup final, with Abhishek’s batting display emerging as one of the biggest positives of their campaign so far.
