Indian players skip handshake with Pakistan as Asia Cup clash ends in frosty silence
Dubai: The high-voltage Group A encounter between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup ended on an unexpectedly cold note at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Once the match was over, Indian batters Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube walked off the field without engaging in the customary post-match handshake with the Pakistan players.
The Pakistani players, too, showed no intent to extend the gesture, leaving the contest without the usual show of sportsmanship. After the handshake snub, Pakistan captain Salman Agha skipped the post-match presentation ceremony.
The tension was palpable even before the first ball was bowled, when captains Suryakumar and Salman Agha skipped the handshake at the toss. What began as a symbolic snub set the tone for a frosty finish, where the absence of camaraderie spoke louder than the cricket itself.
“We stand with the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack, and we express our solidarity, and we want to dedicate today’s win to the armed forces,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said after the match.
Earlier, Suryakumar celebrated his 35th birthday in style by hitting an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls to guide India to a clinical seven-wicket win over Pakistan.
India’s spin-heavy strategy proved decisive for the second game running. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav led the charge with figures of 3-18, while Axar Patel chipped in with 2-18. Varun Chakaravarthy had figures of 1-24, as the trio operated with remarkable control on a sluggish Dubai pitch to restrict Pakistan to 127/9.
The sluggish Dubai surface further aided India’s tweakers, whose control and variations left Pakistan struggling for momentum throughout their innings. While Sahibzada Farham top-scored with 40, a late flourish from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who hit an unbeaten 16-ball 33, gave some respectability to Pakistan’s low score.
Chasing 128 was always going to be an easy ask, and India cruised to victory with 25 balls to spare. It was a game where the reigning T20 World Cup champions showed how much superior they were to Pakistan in all aspects of the game.