DHAKA: Indian cricketer Virat Kohli (R) shakes hand with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C) after winning the match during the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament final match between Bangladesh and India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. – AFP DHAKA: Indian cricketer Virat Kohli (R) shakes hand with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C) after winning the match during the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament final match between Bangladesh and India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. – AFP

DHAKA: Opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a careerbest 60 as India won the Asia Cup for the sixth time after beating host Bangladesh by eight wickets yesterday. Bangladesh was put into bat and posted 120-5 in a rain-hit game that was reduced from 20 to 15 overs after a two-hour delay.

India won with seven balls to spare, reaching 122-2 as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a towering mid-wicket six.

Dhawan and Virat Kohli combined for a 94-run partnership for the second wicket after India was reduced to 5-1. Kohli was unbeaten on 41, while Dhoni was on 20. Bangladeshís fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed (1-14) and Al-Amin Hossain (1-30) shared the wickets. To the delight of the home crowd, Al- Amin broke through in just the second over when he swung one nicely to get the edge of Rohit Sharma (1) who was caught by Soumya Sarkar at first slip.Dhawan and Kohli spent some uncomfortable moments at the crease against the pace of Al Amin and Taskin.

They took their frustration out on Abu Haider, who was playing his first match. Haider conceded 14 runs in his first over and the quick didnít bowl further in the match. Both Dhawan and Kohli also found Shakib Al Hasanís left-arm spin to their liking as they kept India in the hunt.

Taskin returned to his second spell to remove Dhawan with a low full toss after the batsman had hit nine fours and one six in his 44-ball 60. Dhoni hurried the victory with 20 off six balls - including one four and two sixes. Kohli once again played with composure, hitting a risk-free unbeaten 41 off 28 with five fours.

The start of the match was delayed by two hours following torrential rain, after which Bangladesh was put into bat first. Mahmudullah smashed an unbeaten 33 for Bangladesh Mahmudullah helped the side plunder 42 runs in the last three overs after Bangladesh was in trouble at 78-5 in 12 overs.

The platform was built by in-form Sabbir Rahman, who hit 32 not out. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah curbed the aggression of Mahmudullah, ending with figures of 1-13. — AP

Scoreboard

   Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal lbw b Bumrah    13

Soumya Sarkar c Pandya b Nehra    14

Sabbir Rahman not out    32

Shakib Al Hasan c Bumrah b Ashwin    21

Mushfiqur Rahim run out    4

Mashrafe Mortaza c Kohli b Jadeja    0

Mahmudullah Riyad not out    33

Extras (w3) 3

  Total (five wickets; 15 overs)    120

Fall of wickets:  1-27 (Soumya) 2-30 (Tamim), 3-64 (Shakib), 4-75 (Mushfiqur), 5-75 (Mashrafe)

Did not bat: Nasir Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Abu Hider, Taskin Ahmed

Bowling: Ashwin 3-0-14-1 (w1), Nehra 3-0-33-1 (w1), Bumrah 3-0-13-1, Jadeja

3-0-25-0, Pandya 3-0-35-0 (w1)

   India  

R. Sharma c Soumya b Al-Amin    1

S. Dhawan c Soumya b Taskin    60

V. Kohli not out    41

MS Dhoni not out    20

Extras    0

  Total (two wickets; 13.5 overs)    122

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Sharma), 2-99 (Dhawan)

Did not bat: S. Raina, Y. Singh, H. Pandya, R. Jadeja, R. Ashwin, J. Bumrah, A. Nehra

Bowling: Taskin 3-0-14-1, Al-Amin 2.5-0-30-1, Hider 1-0-14-0, Shakib 2-0-26-0, Mashrafe 2-0-16-0, Nasir 3-0-22-0.

Result: India won by eight wickets.