After India’s win in the Asia Cup Super 4 match on Sunday, opener Abhishek Sharma spoke about the game. He said he wasn’t happy with the unnecessary aggression from the Pakistan players. I just didn’t like how they were coming at us for no reason. I felt the best way to respond was to play my natural game and put them under pressure, he said.
Abhishek played a crucial role in India’s win, scoring 74 off 39 balls. His opening partnership with Shubman Gill added 105 runs and helped India chase down 172 with 4 wickets remaining.
In the post-match presentation, Abhishek explained his aggressive approach. I just didn’t appreciate how they were coming at us for no reason. I felt the best response was to play my natural game and put them under pressure, he said. He and Gill had a few tense moments with Pakistan’s fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi during the match.
Abhishek also enjoyed batting with Gill, pointing out their long-standing friendship since their school days. We’ve known each other for a long time and we really enjoy playing together. We thought we could do well and it all came together today. I especially enjoyed how he was responding to the bowling, Abhishek said.
ABHISHEK SHARMA CALLS OUT THE UNNECESSARY AGGRESSION:
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 21, 2025
"The way they were coming at us without any reason, I didn't like it at all, that's why I went after them". pic.twitter.com/FOybxW3ggw
He credited the team for his aggressive batting. The team backs my natural game. I am practicing hard and I am ready to step up and win games for my team, he added.
While Jasprit Bumrah had a bad day, conceding over 10 runs an over, captain Suryakumar Yadav wasn’t too bothered. Nobody is perfect; everyone has off days. Shivam Dube stepped up and did a great job for us, Suryakumar said.
Suryakumar praised the opening partnership of Gill and Abhishek for setting the tone for India’s chase. They work so well together. It’s a great combination, he said, joking that fielding coach T Dilip would be reminding the team about the dropped catches during their fielding effort.
He was happy with the team’s character, especially after Pakistan’s good start in the first 10 overs of their innings. The guys are really stepping up in each game which makes my job easier. They showed great character, Suryakumar said. Even after Pakistan’s good start we kept our cool and regrouped after the drinks break.Pakistan captain Salman Agha said India’s batting in the Power Play was the game changer.
We haven’t played a full game yet but we are getting there. It was a good contest but they took the game away from us in the Power Play. Considering we were 10 overs in, we could have added 10-15 more. 170-180 would have been good but their Power Play batting was the difference.
