Indian opener Abhishek Sharma surprised everyone with his explosive innings against Pakistan in the Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2025.
At the Dubai International Stadium, Abhishek smashed 74 runs in just 39 balls, including six fours and five sixes. His 105-run partnership with Shubman Gill led India to an easy six-wicket win over Pakistan.
Abhishek also broke his mentor Yuvraj Singh’s record by scoring a half-century in just 24 balls.
Shoaib Akhtar’s open challenge to Abhishek
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar didn’t praise Abhishek, but instead issued an open challenge to him.
Akhtar said, “Let Hasan Ali bowl to Abhishek Sharma with the new ball; I will see how he hits him. At least test him.”
Akhtar believes that Abhishek may face difficulty against Hasan Ali’s new ball. This statement is now heating up the atmosphere for the next India-Pakistan match.
Abhishek’s explosive innings won the hearts of cricket fans, but Shoaib Akhtar feels the real test is yet to come.
He also said on the show “Game On High” that Hasan Ali’s fast bowling could pose a challenge for Abhishek.
Shoaib slams Salman Ali Agha
Shoaib Akhtar targeted not only Abhishek but also Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.
After the second defeat to India in the Asia Cup, Akhtar strongly criticized Agha’s captaincy and poor performance.
He said, “Salman doesn’t even know what he’s captaining. He’s the weakest link. Does he even deserve the spot he’s playing in? What does he do? He might be a good guy, but what does he do? Does he perform like Tilak Varma or Hardik Pandya? On top of that, he makes wrong decisions that put the team in more trouble.”
Akhtar said that Salman’s poor captaincy, wrong decisions, and poor management of the middle order were major reasons for Pakistan’s defeat.
He suggested that Pakistan must quickly change its strategy and leadership. Salman scored only 40 runs in four matches this tournament, raising questions about his form.
Pakistan’s team will now have to improve its strategy in the next match. Shoaib believes that bowlers like Hasan Ali can compete with India’s batsmen.
