Dubai, Sep 25 (NationPress) Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy were exceptional with the ball, collectively taking five wickets as India defeated Bangladesh by 41 runs to secure their place in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

With this victory, Sri Lanka has been eliminated from the tournament. Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off in a crucial semifinal match on Thursday to determine who will join India in the final.

After winning the toss, Bangladesh's stand-in captain Jaker Ali elected to field first, allowing India to score 168/6 in 20 overs on a pitch that appeared somewhat sluggish. Abhishek Sharma delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 75 runs off just 37 balls, setting a dynamic tone for the Indian innings.

His explosive batting not only propelled India but also surpassed his mentor Yuvraj Singh's record for the most T20I innings by an Indian featuring five or more sixes. Abhishek now holds six such innings, trailing only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar Yadav (9). He also established a new record for the Asia Cup, hitting 17 sixes in the 2025 edition—the highest in any tournament across formats.

India started aggressively during the Power-play, with Shubman Gill getting off to a quick start before Abhishek capitalized on loose deliveries. Despite a drop catch by Jaker Ali, Abhishek reached 75 in spectacular fashion. The opening pair achieved a remarkable 72/0 within the first six overs.

However, Bangladesh made a comeback after the fielding restrictions, with Shubman Gill dismissed for 29 runs by Rishad Hossain. India made an unexpected decision to send Shivam Dube in at No. 3, but he managed only 2 runs. Suryakumar Yadav joined Abhishek, and together they scored 29 runs off 13 balls before Rishad executed a brilliant run-out, dismissing Abhishek for 75.

This wicket halted India's momentum. Suryakumar struggled to reach 5 runs off 11 balls, and Tilak Varma only added 5 runs, causing India to face challenges in rebuilding their innings. Hardik Pandya played a stabilizing role, scoring 38 runs off 29 balls during the death overs, while Axar Patel remained not out on 10 off 15. Despite their explosive start, India could only muster 70 runs in the final 10 overs. Rishad Hossain shone as the bowler, ending with figures of 2/27, alongside Tanzim Hasan Sakib with 1/29.

In pursuit of 169 runs, Bangladesh struggled from the outset, despite a commendable innings from opener Saif Hassan, who scored 69 runs off 51 balls. Jasprit Bumrah, who had been costly in the previous match against Pakistan, found his rhythm, dismissing Tanzid Hasan early and finishing with 2-18 in four overs, combining swing and precision.

Saif, however, kept Bangladesh's hopes alive, benefitting from three dropped catches. He was let off by Axar Patel at 40, Shivam Dube at 65, and Sanju Samson at 66 off Varun Chakravarthy's bowling. Riding on his luck, Saif anchored the innings with solid strokes, contributing to a partnership of 42 runs for the second wicket with Parvez Hossain Emon, who scored 21 off 19 balls.

However, aside from the two openers, the rest of the Bangladeshi lineup faltered. Kuldeep Yadav was the standout bowler, recording impressive figures of 3-18, including the key wicket of Parvez for 21, which triggered Bangladesh's collapse. Axar Patel claimed 1-37, dismissing Towhid Hridoy for 7, while Varun Chakravarthy, despite conceding boundaries in his first over, rebounded to finish with 2-29.

Bangladesh's middle-order crumbled under the incessant pressure of India's spin attack. Wickets fell at regular intervals, derailing their chase. With 43 runs needed in the final over, Tilak Varma was entrusted with the ball and wrapped up the innings by dismissing Mustafizur Rahman, leaving Bangladesh all out for 127. Only Saif (69) and Emon (21) managed to reach double digits.

This marks India's fifth consecutive victory in the tournament, following three wins in the group stage and triumphs over Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Super Four. With their place in the final confirmed, they will face Sri Lanka in a dead rubber later this week, while Bangladesh and Pakistan compete for the other final spot.

Brief scores:

India 168/6 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 75, Hardik Pandya 38; Rishad Hossain 2-27, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-29) beat Bangladesh 127 all out in 19.3 overs (Saif Hassan 69, Parvez Hossain Emon 21; Kuldeep Yadav 3-18, Varun Chakravarthy 2-29) by 41 runs.