India’s chase in the Asia Cup Super Four clash against Pakistan got off to a fiery start on Sunday when Abhishek Sharma smashed the very first delivery of the innings for six at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Facing Shaheen Afridi, Abhishek powerfully hit a short ball down the leg side, getting a top-edge that flew all the way behind wicketkeeper Haris Rauf. This sensational hit not only provided India with an emphatic start to their innings but also immediately set the tone for a heated exchange between the two players on the field.
Words were exchanged between them right after the six, further adding intensity to what was already a high-pressure match. In an earlier group-stage meeting of the tournament, Abhishek had also attacked Shaheen’s first ball, charging down and striking it straight back for four. This time, his approach was equally aggressive, yielding an even more spectacular six.
This impressive hit also placed Abhishek in a rare category. He became only the fourth Indian player to clear the ropes with the very first ball of a T20 International innings. Rohit Sharma was the first to achieve this feat against Adil Rashid in Ahmedabad in 2021. The other players who have accomplished this are:
- Rohit Sharma off Adil Rashid in Ahmedabad, 2021
- Yashasvi Jaiswal off Sikandar Raza in Harare, 2024
- Sanju Samson off Jofra Archer in Mumbai, 2025
- Abhishek Sharma off Haider Ali in Dubai, 2025
- Abhishek Sharma off Shaheen Afridi in Dubai, 2025
For Abhishek, this particular six in Dubai held even greater significance as it came against Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Afridi.
Remarkably, Shaheen Afridi has opened the bowling in T20 Internationals on 70 occasions, making him the second-most frequent opening bowler from a Full Member nation. Abhishek Sharma’s audacious stroke made him the first batter ever to hit Shaheen Afridi for a six off the very first ball of his spell.
Earlier in the evening, Pakistan’s innings concluded at 171/5 from their allotted 20 overs. Sahibzada Farhan played a crucial anchoring role with a score of 58 off 45 balls. Late cameos from Faheem Ashraf (20 not out off 8 balls) and Salman Agha (17 not out off 13 balls) helped boost the total in the final overs. For India, Shivam Dube was the standout bowler, picking up two wickets, including those of Farhan and Saim Ayub. Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya also contributed with a wicket each.
With Abhishek’s explosive start, India has clearly signaled their aggressive intent in pursuit of the challenging 172-run target set by their arch-rivals.
