Put into bat after Bangladesh's stand-in skipper Jaker Ali won the toss, India posted 168\/6 in 20 overs. Abhishek lit up the innings with his power-hitting, taking India to 72\/0 in the first six overs with Shubman Gill (29 off 19). After Gill\u2019s dismissal, India sent Shivam Dube at No. 3, but he managed only 2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Abhishek added 29 off 13 with captain Suryakumar Yadav before being brilliantly run out by Rishad Hossain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOf course, I have done my job for the team. I said it before, and I generally go with the flow. If it\u2019s in my arc, I will go for it even if it\u2019s the first ball of my innings. I try to get the Power-play for my team,\u201d Abhishek said after being named Player of the Match (POTM) in India\u2019s 41-run win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His 75 not only powered India but also took him past his mentor Yuvraj Singh\u2019s tally for the most T20I innings by an Indian with five or more sixes. He now has six such knocks, behind only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar (9). He also set a new Asia Cup record, hitting 17 sixes in the 2025 edition \u2014 the most ever in a single tournament across formats.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He revealed how he and Shubman Gill planned their approach early on. \u201cIn a few matches, I wanted to go hard in the first ball of my innings, but tonight, they had certain bowlers who wanted to pick up a wicket early on with the new ball. This was a new wicket, and I wanted to check how it was going. Me and Shubman spoke about it. We wanted to take a few balls and then take the attack on the bowlers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Abhishek also underlined the importance of practice in sharpening his game. \u201cI always try to go with the field. There are certain shots that I back really hard. I am not someone who goes all out from ball one. I try to play shots according to the field. I had a plan that if I wanted to play this brand of cricket, I needed to work really hard. I wanted to play shots but not get out when I practice in the nets,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India lost momentum after his wicket. Suryakumar struggled for 5 off 11, Tilak Varma made only 5, and the innings slowed down. Hardik Pandya\u2019s 38 off 29 in the death overs and Axar Patel\u2019s 10 not out off 15 ensured India crossed 165. Rishad Hossain (2-27) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (1-29) bowled well to keep India to 168\/6.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said the team wanted to test themselves batting first. \u201cActually, we didn\u2019t get to bat first in this tournament, that too in a crucial game. I think we batted first against Oman. It was important to bat first in the Super 4s. We played here on the 14th, where the wicket was on the slower side in the second innings. That\u2019s exactly what happened today, and there was no dew,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chasing 169, Bangladesh relied on opener Saif Hassan, who made 69 off 51 balls but was dropped thrice \u2014 on 40 by Axar, on 65 by Shivam Dube, and on 66 by Sanju Samson. He shared a 42-run stand with Parvez Hossain Emon (21 off 19), but apart from the openers, no one else reached double digits. Kuldeep Yadav was superb with 3-18, Varun Chakravarthy took 2-29, and Bumrah bounced back strongly with 2-18. Axar chipped in with 1-37, while Tilak Varma bowled the final over, dismissing Mustafizur Rahman to end Bangladesh\u2019s innings at 127.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said the team wanted to test themselves batting first. \u201cActually, we didn\u2019t get to bat first in this tournament, that too in a crucial game. I think we batted first against Oman. It was important to bat first in the Super 4s. We played here on the 14th, where the wicket was on the slower side in the second innings. That\u2019s exactly what happened today, and there was no dew,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
This was India\u2019s fifth straight win of the tournament, ensuring their place in the final. With Sri Lanka eliminated, Pakistan and Bangladesh will now meet in a virtual semifinal to decide the other finalist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n