High praise for Abhishek Sharma as India beat Pakistan

India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav believes the work ethic of Abhishek Sharma has led to his inevitable rise in the international game, proven by an assured showing in their Asia Cup Super Fours victory over Pakistan in Dubai.

The 25-year-old left-hander belted 74 from just 39 balls, as India coasted past a target of 172 in the penultimate over.

Putting on an opening stand of 105 inside 10 overs with Shubman Gill (47 from 28 balls), Abhishek was unpeturbed by the loss of Suryakumar (zero) in the next over, with the skipper pointing to his work off the park as a key to his success.

“He never misses practice. Even on days when he’s not feeling like batting, he’s always doing something to get better," Yadav told reporters after the victory.

"That kind of dedication never goes unrewarded.

"I truly believe God has plans for those who keep working like that.”

The plaudits came in thick and fast for the opener after the innings, unfazed by the extra attention and emotion of the fixture, combining touch and power in a well-calculated chase.

And for the skipper, taking the pressure off the rest of the batting line-up by teaming up with Gill lays the ideal platform.

"The way Abhishek complements Shubman Gill's batting is amazing and it's very enjoyable to watch both of them bat together," Yadav said.

"The way they did it today, I think it was required for someone to bat at least 10-12 overs and give us that strong base and they did the same thing."

The victory was the first for India in the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup, after going three wins from as many matches in Group A action.

Their form ahead of the 2026 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup on home soil (co-hosting with Sri Lanka) is also ominous for the rest of world, and the skipper extended his praise to a group looking to emulate the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja who bowed out after claiming 2024 honours.

"The way the boys are stepping up in every game, showing character, I think it's making my job really easy," Captain Yadav continued.

"I think the boys showed a lot of character, composure. They were calm after first innings.

"After the ten overs, I told the boys during drinks as well: 'The game starts now.'

"And the way they reacted, everyone on the field and all the bowlers, I think it was commendable."

India take on Bangladesh in their next Asia Cup fixture on Thursday, while Pakistan look to bounce back in a meeting with Sri Lanka a day prior on Wednesday.