Hardik Pandya hitting the winning runs for the Indian team
The game lived up to the hype, swinging both ways before India held their nerve to seal a memorable win. Hardik Pandya emerged as the hero, showcasing his all-round brilliance. First, he bowled a crucial spell to restrict Pakistan, then played a composed yet explosive knock under pressure. With calmness and confidence, Pandya guided India to victory by five wickets, reminding fans once again why this rivalry remains cricket’s most electrifying spectacle.
After winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, India kept Pakistan to 147 runs in 19.5 overs in a gripping T20 Asia Cup clash on August 28, 2022, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s batting had moments of promise, but India’s bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, never let them fully take control. It was a story of starts that fizzled out, a middle-order wobble, and a late burst that gave Pakistan something to defend.
Pakistan sent out Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam to open, and they started with caution, sizing up the pitch. Babar looked in the mood, cracking two fours in his 10 runs off 9 balls, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar got him early in the third over. He skied one to Arshdeep Singh at mid-off, and Pakistan were 15 for 1. Fakhar Zaman came in next, looking to take the attack to India. He smashed two boundaries in his quickfire 10 off 6 balls, but Avesh Khan struck in the sixth over, with Dinesh Karthik snapping up a catch behind the stumps. That left Pakistan at 42 for 2, having scored 43 runs in the powerplay but losing both openers.
Rizwan kept things steady, anchoring the innings, and found a good partner in Iftikhar Ahmed. The two put on 45 runs, with Rizwan playing his usual measured game and Iftikhar going for his shots. Iftikhar looked dangerous, hitting two fours and a six in his 28 off 22 balls, but Hardik Pandya broke through in the 12th over, getting him caught by Karthik. Pakistan were 87 for 3, and by the drinks break at 10 overs, they were 68 for 2, with Rizwan on 29. Rizwan kept battling, reaching 43 off 42 balls with four fours and a six, but Pandya struck again in the 14th over, having him caught by Avesh Khan. That brought Pakistan to 96 for 4, and the momentum was slipping.
The middle order had a tough time keeping up. Khushdil Shah couldn’t get going, managing just 2 runs off 7 balls before Pandya dismissed him in the same over, caught by Ravindra Jadeja. Pakistan was now 97 for 5, and the pressure was mounting. Asif Ali tried to rebuild, scoring 9 off 7 balls, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar got him in the 16th over, caught by Suryakumar Yadav. Mohammad Nawaz didn’t last long, scratching out 1 run off 3 balls before Arshdeep Singh had him caught by Karthik in the 17th over, leaving Pakistan at 114 for 7.
Shadab Khan, who made 10 off 9 balls with a four, looked to spark something, but Bhuvneshwar trapped him lbw in the 18th over after a review confirmed the call. When Naseem Shah fell for a duck in the same over, also to Bhuvneshwar, Pakistan were 128 for 9 and staring at a low total. Then came a late fightback. Shahnawaz Dahani, batting way down at No. 11, played a blinder, smashing 16 off 6 balls with two massive sixes. Haris Rauf chipped in too, staying not out on 13 off 7 balls with a couple of fours. Their 19-run stand for the last wicket gave Pakistan a boost, taking them to 147 before Arshdeep bowled Dahani on the final ball of the 19th over.
Bhuvneshwar was the star, finishing with 4 wickets for 26 runs, while Pandya took 3 for 25. Arshdeep grabbed 2 for 33, and Avesh got 1 for 19. Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja didn’t pick up wickets but kept things tight, giving away 32 and 11 runs, respectively. Pakistan’s total included five extras with four wides and a bye, but India’s bowlers stayed in control, breaking partnerships and stopping Pakistan from building a bigger score. They ended at 7.41 runs an over, a decent effort but one that felt chaseable.
With Pakistan’s innings done, India had to chase down 148, and they did that with two balls to spare, finishing at 148 for 5 in 19.4 overs. The chase was a wild ride with early trouble, a gritty rebuild, and a heart-pounding finish led by Hardik Pandya, with Ravindra Jadeja playing a big part. It was the kind of game that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. India’s innings got off to a nightmare start. Naseem Shah, making his T20I debut, bowled KL Rahul for a duck in the first over, clean bowled with a gem of a delivery.
India were 1 for 1, and Pakistan were pumped. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came together, trying to calm things down. They put on 49 runs, with Rohit playing cautiously, scoring 12 off 18 balls with a six, before Mohammad Nawaz got him in the eighth over, caught by Iftikhar Ahmed. Kohli was more attacking, hitting three fours and a six in his 35 off 34 balls, but Nawaz struck again in the ninth over, getting him caught by Iftikhar as well. India were 53 for 3, and at the drinks break after 10 overs, they were 62 for 3, with Jadeja on 8 and Suryakumar Yadav on 2, needing 86 more runs.
Jadeja and Suryakumar got to work, adding 36 runs for the fourth wicket. Suryakumar played a steady 18 off 18 balls, finding a four, but Naseem Shah came back to bowl him in the 14th over, leaving India at 89 for 4. The run rate was creeping up, and Pakistan’s bowlers were circling. That’s when Jadeja and Hardik Pandya stepped up, putting on a crucial 52 runs together. Jadeja anchored with a composed 35 off 29 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes, while Pandya took the aggressive route, keeping India in the hunt.
By the 18th over, India needed 21 runs off 12 balls. Naseem Shah bowled a tight over, giving away 11 runs, including a four from Pandya, who was starting to look unstoppable. Haris Rauf came on for the 19th over and got taken apart for 14 runs. Pandya smashed three fours, two hammered to the leg side and one lofted over cover, while Jadeja added a single. India now needed 7 runs off the last over, bowled by Nawaz.
The tension was unreal. Nawaz struck the first ball, bowling Jadeja, who walked off after a vital 35. India were 141 for 5, and Dinesh Karthik came in, nudging a single off the next ball. Pandya faced a dot on the third, cranking up the pressure. With 6 runs needed off 3 balls, Pandya kept his cool and launched a huge six over long-on, sealing the win with two balls left. He finished not out on 33 off 17 balls, with four fours and a six, while Karthik was 1 not out off 1 ball.
Pakistan’s bowlers tried hard but couldn’t quite pull it off. Nawaz was their best, taking 3 for 33, and Naseem Shah was impressive with 2 for 27. Haris Rauf went for 35 without a wicket, Shahnawaz Dahani gave up 29, and Shadab Khan was tidy but wicketless, conceding 19. Pakistan also gave away 14 extras, nine wides, and five leg byes, which hurt them. India’s run rate of 7.52 per over showed they stayed on top of the chase, and Pandya’s late heroics, combined with his 3 wickets earlier, made him the Player of the Match.