The India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup final is set, and anticipation is building. Before the big match on September 28th, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar’s comments created a stir on social media. During a cricket talk show, Akhtar made a funny mistake. He mistakenly called Abhishek Sharma as Abhishek Bachchan, causing laughter among the studio audience. Discussing Pakistan’s chances in the Asia Cup final, Akhtar said, ‘If Pakistan gets Abhishek Bachchan out early, what about the middle order? Their middle order hasn’t performed well.’ The anchor and panelists started laughing at the error. Akhtar then corrected himself, mentioning Abhishek Sharma’s actual name.
Abhishek Sharma poses a significant challenge to Pakistan’s chances. This left-handed batsman has scored the most runs in the tournament so far, with 248 runs in 5 matches. He has smashed 17 sixes, and his strike rate is an impressive 206. Sharma’s explosive 75-run innings in the previous match against Pakistan has made him the primary focus for Pakistan’s bowling strategy.
India’s middle order has shown vulnerabilities in the last two matches of the Asia Cup, despite their overall winning streak. While Tilak Varma has scored 95 runs, his strike rate is only 126. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube haven’t performed well. Sanju Samson scored a half-century but struggled against spin. If Abhishek Sharma is dismissed early, Pakistan could gain an advantage.
Fielding is another concern for Team India. They have dropped the most catches in the tournament, with 12. The team’s fielding performance against Pakistan and Bangladesh was particularly poor. If this continues in the final, Pakistan could capitalize on the opportunity.