The India versus Pakistan Asia Cup final is on the horizon, and the excitement is building. Prior to the match on September 28, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar made a comment that went viral. During a cricket talk show, Akhtar humorously mixed up Abhishek Sharma with Abhishek Bachchan, leading to a round of laughter in the studio. Analyzing Pakistan’s chances in the Asia Cup final, Akhtar said, ‘If Pakistan gets Abhishek Bachchan out early, what about their middle order? Their middle order hasn’t performed well.’ The host and panel members reacted with amusement, after which Akhtar correctly identified Abhishek Sharma.
Abhishek Sharma is a considerable challenge for Pakistan. The left-handed batsman has the most runs in the tournament so far, with 248 runs in 5 matches. He’s hit 17 sixes, and his strike rate is a dynamic 206. In the last match against Pakistan, Abhishek Sharma played a powerful innings of 75 runs. This is why the entire focus within Pakistan is on dismissing Abhishek Sharma.
While India has won all its matches in the Asia Cup, the middle order has looked weak in the last two matches. Tilak Varma has 95 runs, but his strike rate is only 126. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube have underperformed. Sanju Samson has scored a half-century but struggled against spinners. If Abhishek Sharma gets out early, Pakistan has a chance.
Fielding is also a major issue for India. The team has dropped the most catches, 12. Against Pakistan and Bangladesh, India’s catching was poor. If India makes this mistake in the final, Pakistan will get a comeback opportunity.