Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
Despite over-utilising his craft, Bumrah chased shadows of his past self and returned with figures of 0/45.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to the Indian team, smashing a blistering half-century to power India to a thumping 101-run win over South Africa in the first T20 International.
Shami puts Bengal on top of points table with easy win vs Services
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
The architects of the win were Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who blasted a 105-run opening stand that left Pakistan's bowlers gasping.
India's spinners took six wickets in a stunning fight back to rout Australia by 48 runs in the fourth T20I on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
Shivam Dube says he relishes finishing the crunch games -- an art he learnt by following Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
'When I came to bat, I wanted to implement what I have learnt from MS Dhoni about finishing games. I keep speaking to Mahi bhai. He tells me about how to tackle different situations.'
Patel stayed unbeaten on the crease in India's innings, scoring 21 off 11 balls to power his side to 167 and then took two wickets, removing Matthew Short and Josh Inglis.
It is believed that captain Sanju Samson has asked Rajasthan Royals to trade him or release him into the auction, signalling an end to his long association with the franchise.
The triumph at the Dubai International Stadium marked India's ninth Asia Cup title and showcased the team's grit, character, and ability to perform under pressure.
'The way Abhishek and Shubman bat, it is like fire and ice.'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday and linked up with rest of the Indian team, many of whom were playing in the two-Test series against West Indies.
When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
Abhishek Sharma waged a lone battle with an entertaining 68 from 37 balls in the second T20I against Australia at MCG on Friday.
India take on Bangladesh in the first of the three-match T20I series in Gwalior, on Sunday.
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that India's new T20 approach isn't just about fearless batting, it's about all-round aggression.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson expressed disappointment about India refraining from engaging in the customary handshake when his side made attempts towards it after the end of the match.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
Shivam Dube has worked on his weakness against short-ball quite well and it has a lot to do with Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
That is the level of trust we have in each other.'
Mumbai off to flourishing start in SMAT, beat Railways by 7 wickets
'It was just put the ball in the right areas, don't try too much and see what happens.'
stroked 69 not out off 53 balls to steer India to a famous five-wicket victory in the title clash, dedicated his knock to "all the Indians".
Explosive left-hand batter Rinku has presented a strong case to be India's squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean.
Abhishek Sharma admitted that India's batting unit was caught slightly off guard by the extra bounce and disciplined bowling in Australian conditions in the second T20I in Melbourne.
Flamboyant Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who notched up another fifty in the Asia Cup on Wednesday against Bangladesh, credited his fearless batting to sheer hard work and hours of practice in the nets.
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
'We have to forget this game because we have one the day after tomorrow. We're looking forward to delivering a better performance there.'
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shivam Dube has the ability to control matches and teams are "scared" to bowl spin against him, said bowling coach Eric Simmons after the left-handed batter hit 38-ball 66 not out in CSK's 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in their IPL match in Mumbai.
The three players will travel back home to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup winning squad.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
