India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025: Reactions after Team India players refused to shake hands with Pakistani players

Here's what Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra said about India playing Pakistan and the handshake controversy.

"We played Pakistan because Govt of India wanted it. Get that very clear. To then make a cheap churlish spectacle by not shaking Pakistan hand post-match is laughable," Mahua Moitra posts

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly speaks on Suryakumar Yadav's refusal to shake the hands of Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha and the Indian team's dominant victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday.

“You need to ask captain Surya about that (not shaking hands with Pakistani players); I really don’t have any answer to that,” Ganguly said at an event.

He added, “I said yesterday that Pakistan is no match, I say that with respect because of what I see in that team, the lack of quality on their side. The Indian team played this game without Virat and Rohit, who were stalwarts for such a long time."

After India's victory over Pakistan in the group stage at Asia Cup, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was asked about the criticism generated by the government's decision to allow the Indian cricket team to play in the Asia Cup after the heinous Pahalgam terror attack, but prohibit the national team to play bilateral series against Pakistan.

The former sports minister said, "As far as this cricket match is concerned, it is not a bilateral game between India and Pakistan. If India does not play in the Asia Cup, then India will be out. The Olympics and the Asia Cup are not for Pakistan; it is for the whole world. India has not played a match against Pakistan. No bilateral has been played in Pakistan. Pakistan has not been invited separately. If we do not go to the Olympics because of our enmity with a country, who will suffer the loss? So, this has to be understood. The sentiment is right, but there should be rational thinking behind the sentiment. India is not playing a bilateral match with Pakistan separately, but tournaments like the Olympics, Asian Games, Asian Championship, World Cup, and Asia Cup are multi-national, multi-lateral, all nations play together, there is no separate game between Pakistan and India."

Pakistan have lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council over the Indian players' refusal to shake hands with them following their Asia Cup game here, labelling it "unsporting" and escalating the tension between the two sides.

In a statement late on Sunday night, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said India's actions were against the spirit of the game after the seven-wicket win for the Suryakumar Yadav-led unit.

"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the spirit of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," read a PCB statement.

READ THE FULL STORY OF PAKISTAN'S PROTEST ON INDIA'S HANDSHAKE SNUB

Kuldeep Yadav grabbed a three-for to harass Pakistan in the middle overs in the Sunday’s game at Dubai. Former Pakistan players Shoaib Malik and Umar Gull were flabbergasted at the batting, while Shoaib Akhtar used sarcastic humour to say these have been issues for a while now. Former pacer Umar Gul brought up the Kuldeep Yadav factor when he said on PTV Sports: “The ball was not even spinning that much and Pakistan gave wickets to him. There was almost 10 overs of dot ball. As Shoaib Malik said now, you are not taking singles, not rotating the strike. The pressure builds on the other guy who then tries to hit next over and gets out.”

After India's seven-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Asia Cup, captain Suryakumar Yadav had said at the presentation ceremony that the Indian team stood in solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and dedicated the victory to the Armed Forces that executed Operation Sindoor.

At his press conference after the game, Yadav struck an emotional tone. He reflected on the decision to not shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha: “I feel few things, few things in life are ahead of sportsmen’s spirit also.” He then paused and explained: “I have already answered it. I have told it at the presentation as well that we actually stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. And we stand with their families also, expressing our solidarity. Also, as I said at PC, that we dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor. And as they continue to inspire us all, we will try our best whenever given an opportunity to inspire them as well, if possible,” he said.

READ Sandip G's notes from an emotional Suryakumar Yadav press conference

Pakistan cricket team coach Mike Hesson explained why Pakistan captain Salman Agha skipped the post-match presentation after their seven-wicket defeat to India at the Asia Cup.

The Pakistan coach said that the team was disappointed that Indian players did not shake hands with the Men in Green players.

“We wanted to shake hands but disappointed that the opposition didn’t do that. Also disappointed with the way we played. Pakistan captain Salman not coming for post-match presentation was cause and effect after what happened,” Hesson said at the press conference.

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Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the Asia Cup game between India and Pakistan --- which the Men in Blue won by seven wickets on Sunday --- was a clear indicator that this current Pakistan team “has a lot of class” and that the Indians were in a “different league” altogether.

“Perhaps the Asia Cup organizers should have three India and Sri Lanka games next time. I feel that India and Sri Lanka would be a much tighter contest,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.

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There were no high-fives; no fist-bumps or excessive celebrations. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube walked back to the pavilion with cussed faces, greeted with similarly measured demeanour by the players and support staff in the dressing room. They walked with the emotional bearing of a team that has made crushing adversaries routine. The seven-wicket victory over Pakistan was not so much a stroll as it was a brutal exposing of the gulf of talent between the two sides; once equals, now no longer so.

The Indian chase was symbolically settled in two balls. The first two balls of the innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi steamed in, chugging in his long limbs like a heavy locomotive. He was searching for that dramatic yorker, curling, swinging, bending in. Hitting the pads or blasting the stumps. The design fell flat. (Read more from Sandip G)

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar cut the Pakistan cricket team down to size on Sunday after the Indian cricket team defeated them by seven wickets in their Asia Cup group stage encounter at the Dubai International Stadium in UAE. Gavaskar said that the Pakistan team looked like a “Popatwadi team” rather than a national cricket team.

“This did not look like the Pakistan cricket team to me. It looked more like a Popatwadi team,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network after the match.

What's does the phrase "Popatwadi team" mean? We explain in the article

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Mike Hesson: Disappointed that opposition did that. Disappointed the way we played too. We were keen to engage but that did not happen. That's why Agha did not come for presentation

Surya on not shaking hands at toss: BCCI and the government had aligned to play the game. so only the game was in our mind. he decision was taken later.

Surya on bowling plans: Our bowling was superb. similar line-up. we executed our plans well

Surya on social media: We decided to cut 75 percent of the voice

Tushar Bhaduri: The match was over as a contest much before Suryakumar Yadav launched left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem into the stands beyond wide long-on. The gulf in class was evident in every facet of the game. Gone are the days when raw talent used to suddenly emerge out of Pakistan and take the cricketing world by storm. For a nation that has produced the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, their reliance on spin is a departure from their traditional strength. Shaheen Shah Afridi, the titular leader of the pace attack, is a shadow of his best self. That he was the only Pakistani pacer on show in Dubai on Sunday proves how steep has been their decline.

It's not as if the spinners Pakistan have employed come with any great pedigree. They fielded a spinner each of every variety, but without the requisite quality. Head coach Mike Hesson talked up left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz before the match as probably the best in the world – one wonders if it was a claim made half in jest. Three wicket-less overs going for 27 settled the argument. The others – Abrar Ahmad, Saim Ayub and Muqeem – couldn't be expected to make a major impact given the paltry total they were defending. Ayub, an off-spinner, bowled some good deliveries, displayed variations, and got all the three Indian wickets to fall, but was not as consistent as he and his team would have wanted. Abrar went at just four runs an over from his four overs, but the batsmen were under no obligation to go after him.

Great feeling and a perfect return gift to India. Human tendency that it keeps running in your mind when you think about it (his earlier line about the win being a return gift). You definitely want to win it and when you win it, you have it ready. One box that I always wanted to tick - stay there and bat till the end. For the whole team, we think it's just another game. We prepare the same for all the oppositions. That's what happened few months back. The team that won the CT set the tone. I'm always a fan of spinners because they control the game in the middle. Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the victims of the families of Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to put a smile on their face.

Simple. Just execute the plans. Just see who is batting and react accordingly. I had my plans and executed them. First ball is always wicket-taking ball, just have to go with that mindset and execute that wicket-taking ball. Batter maybe set but he's facing me for the first time. Still feel I really need to work on my bowling. Sometimes I feel I use too many variations.

Suryakumar Yadav smacks Muqeem through mid-wicket for a six, and that's the end of the game. India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the end. Although Pakistan has had its moments with the ball, it was the bat that they have faltered. And India once again has looked a level or two above Pakistan in yet another multi-nation tournament. It was Kuldeep Yadav with the ball in the first innings, with his three wickets, who broke the Pakistan middle order, and with the bat, Abhishek Sharma killed the chase in the powerplay, and then Suryakumar Yadav calmly navigated the side over the line. Do stay with us, we will be right back with the presentation.

Saim Ayub has got rid of Tilak Varma here. It was an off-spinner which pitched on middle and turned away to hit the off-stump. The amount of turn on that definitely surprised Tilak. Ayub has been the best bowler for Pakistan in this innings; however, it is the number of runs they have been able to put on that is a concern. If they could have reassessed and tried and put on around a 160 score on the board with their spin attack, they could have definitely made a match out of it. Also, one more noticeable thing has been once again today, there is no dew, although Pakistan might not have scored runs, but as we go along the tournament, batting first might be the right way to go.

Surya and Tilak have put on a 50-run stand here. They are quite used to batting with each other, especially in the T20 format of the game. Over the years, they have been doing a similar job for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, and today again, when the situation was called for it, they have batted quite sensibly. It would have been an easier option to take when they came in with the way Abhishek Sharma was batting to keep going after the bowling, which might have gone either way, but that is where they have shown the experience by playing it quite maturely and have taken India to a position where they cannot lose this game from here on.

Pakistan has managed to slow down the scoring rate through the middle overs here. Abrar Ahmed is bowling quite well here. He did pose a few questions to the Indian side when these two sides met in the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year, too. Having said that, the Muqeem is letting the pressure off here in the 10th over. Both Tilak and Suryakumar Yadav, who have bided their time, have decided Muqeem is the bowler they are going to go after, and they are executing that plan to perfection. That is an expensive offer from Muqeem, which has let go of all the pressure that was built by Abrar.

This is the kind of power play India needed to chase 128 runs. They have taken the game away from Pakistan in the powerplay here, and they need sensible batting to get the job done. Once again, credit must go to Abhishek Sharma and his quick-fire innings as the reason behind India's current dominant position. As per Pakistan, it is about picking 2-3 quick wickets here and trying to build a few tight overs. If they are not picking wickets, the Indian batting is deep enough to get the job done with the current required run rate.

Venkata Krishna B: With a paltry total to defend, Shaheen Shah Afridi didn’t hesitate to go on the attack from the word go. His go-to delivery in such situations is the toe-crushing yorker — which he had famously unleashed on Rohit Sharma at the same venue during the 2021 T20 World Cup. He tried to do the same against Abhishek Sharma, but the left-hander was prepared for it as he made a premeditated walk down the pitch and converted it into a full-toss and struck it straight past the pacer to get India’s chase going. Two more sixes off Afridi, one over covers off the second ball of the first over and another one over midwicket in the second over, threw Afridi off as India got the quickfire start they wanted.

Abhishek Sharma, too, has perished here. Saim Ayub is the wicket-taker yet again. It was a slower one, and as soon as Ayub saw Abhishek charge down the track, he pulled the length back, and Abhishek could not get his timing right and ended up giving a simple catch to a long-off fielder. But he did his job, though, giving the quick start India needed and pushing Pakistan on a bit of back foot, but having said that, Pakistan will believe they are still in the game because of the two wickets they have managed to pick up early in the piece.

Saim Ayub took the new ball from the other end, and he picked up the wicket of Shubman Gill. It was a carrom ball from the bowler, and Gill, who was beaten in the air, went forward to face the delivery and lost his balance, and Mohammad Haris behind the stumps did the rest of the work. It is an early wicket for Pakistan. They needed a good follow-up from Shaheen Shah Afridi, unfortunately, he continues to pitch the ball up, and Abhishek Sharma is setting himself to hit it through the line of the ball as the fuller one comes in.

Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken the new ball for Pakistan here and he tried to pitch the ball up and look for a bit of swing however, Abhishek Sharma who was on strike was upto the mark and charged down the track of the first ball converted it into a full toss and smashed it for a boundary down the ground and then the following delivery he hit for an exquisite six through extra cover, 12 runs came of that opening over from Afridi which is not what Pakistan wanted.

It is not much of a chase for India, objectively, ideally, India, with the firepower in their batting order, should get it done with overs to spare; however, in clashes such as these, there is always some twist in the tale. Pakistan's bowling needs a good power play to make a match out of it.

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Well, Shaheen Shah Afridi managed to tonk a few in the end to take Pakistan to 127 runs, which is still a subpar total, but the momentum of that final over is what Pakistan would be looking to carry on with the ball when they come back in. It is down to Shaheen Shah Afridi and his new ball spell, as although Pakistan spinners do have a bit of mystery about them, they still are inexperienced, and the Indian batters are quite skilled to deal with them. We will be right back after the short break for the chase. Do stay with us.

Venkata Krishna B: There was plenty of talk as to whether India have missed a trick by playing just one frontline seamer and choosing to invest heavily on the spinners. For the second game in succession, their decision was vindicated as the trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy choked Pakistan. Two of them went at a miserly economy of 4.50 while Varun conceded 6 RPO. These numbers would without doubt worry opposition, for once the tournament gets to the business end, the pitches would get further slow and making the trio more effective. Of course, this is not about economy alone as they showed their ruthlessness to share 6 wickets between them as Pakistan who managed to own the Afghanistan spinners in the tri-series last week had no answers to the guile of Indian tweakers.

Varun Chakarvarthy has picked up the wicket of Faheem Ashraf, who tried to reverse-sweep and missed the ball completely. He is the last player who could bat a bit for Pakistan. However, as of now, both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyaan Muqeem are using a bit of a long handle and getting a few boundaries away here. They are still 20 away from that 130 mark, which psychologically gives a decent feeling, as teams before have defended those totals if their bowling works out and the captain makes some smart field placements. As we update Bumrah picks up Muqeem

It was a clever delivery from Kudleep to Farhan; he tossed it wide, and the batter dragged it from way outside the off-stump to hit it through mid-wicket, but Hardik Pandya took a lovely catch on the boundary. With that, the dreams of 130 have almost come to an end for Pakistan. This is a subpar total from them, and if they have to make a match out of this, Shaheen Shah Afridi has to pick up few early wickets and the spinners need to come in early into the game as Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill if they get going in the powerplay they will be not much left to defend for the tweakers through the middle overs.

Credit must go to the Indian camp for picking this side. Given the history of the grounds here and the dew factor, it would have been a more easier option to pick up an extra seamer in Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana, but both Surya and Gambhir have been more inclined towards playing with spin-heavy sides and controlling the games through the middle overs. Gambhir and Rohit Sharma won the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year with a similar combination, and in the Asia Cup so far, the evidence suggests this attack is quite hard to get away. As we update, Kuldeep Yadav picked up set batter Farhan.

Pritish Raj: The first innings of the India v Pakistan clash have been like a slow boring movie. The Indian bowlers have been pinpoint with accuracy and the Pakistani batters are struggling with everything- timing, rhythm and shot selection.

In the first 10 overs, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav used his bowling options effectively. Starting with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, he switched to the spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakarvarthy.

The Indian pace duo were right on the money with both striking in first two balls of their over. Sahibzada Farhan two sixes off Bumrah in his second and third over but that's only hitting they could do as Bumrah bowled with precision.

The spin trio strangled Pakistan further as they bowled 18 dot balls in the next five overs with Axar taking wickets of Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha. Pakistan played 36 dot balls in the first ten overs scoring 49 runs for four wickets.

In T20 cricket, explosive start is crucial to a good score. Case in point the recent game between England and South Africa where an explosive start from Jos Buttler and Phil Salt resulted in them scoring 304 runs.

But at the moment, if Pakistan cross the score of 100, that will be a face saver for them.

Farhan is the batter who is holding this innings together, and Pakistan needs him to bat till the end. Does he have the experience of how to sail through situations like this? Only time will tell, but even if they have to get around that 130-mark, they need Farhan to bat till the end. Salman Agha, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, would have least expected to go things this way. Having a method to win games is fine, but when a side decides to go against the norm, like Pakistan did today, they needed to have a specific strategy of how they would want to get to the par total, which has not been visible from Pakistan today.

Tushar Bhaduri: If the Pakistan batsmen were largely incompetent against the pacers, apart from the odd hit to the boundary or over it, they were nothing but clueless against the Indian spin attack. It seemed they had never seen a ball deviate from the straight and had been brought up on flat-as-pancake surfaces. Even straight balls seemed to be potent weapons. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy tied them up in knots. It seemed that rotating the strike was an alien concept for Pakistan batsmen. Their motto seemed to be block-block-slog, which was only partially successful.

Pakistan's manner of dealing with spinners was not much dissimilar to that of UAE batsmen a few days ago, a severe indictment of their current state. Even the defensive shots rarely came from the middle of the bats. There was a surfeit of dot balls, and most of the fielding was done by men stationed inside the circle. Pakistan's struggles against spin even prompted Suryakumar Yadav to bring on Abhishek Sharma, the fourth tweaker on show. Such was the mental state of the batsmen that even full tosses weren't taken full toll of, as the procession of wickets continued.

Kuldeep has struck twice here since our last update. First, it was Hasan Nawaz who tried to hit Kuldeep across the line and skied it, and Axar Patel took a simple catch, and then Mohammad Nawaz did not read the googly from Kuldeep Yadav and was trapped in front of the wicket, and the umpire gave it out. Nawaz has sent it upstairs; however, there were three reds on the ball tracking. Faheem Ashraf has walked into the middle of Pakistan and is in a lot of trouble here.

India has managed these middle overs quite smartly with spinners here. Axar Patel, especially, has bowled quite well through this phase. So far, the way Surya has used his bowlers is kind of indicating that he wants the spinners Varun and Kuldeep to have overs in the final overs, as Abhishek Sharma immediately after the drinks break did chip in with an over. As per Pakistan, they have to at least look to get a single of every ball if not a boundary, an over they have consumed too many dots through that 6-10 over passage.

The Indian spinners are squeezing the Pakistan batters here in the middle. Axar Patel is quite a canny bowler in this phase of the game, and with two right-handers in the middle, he will be tough to get away. As we update, Axar Patel has picked up Pakistan skipper Salman Agha. He was finding it hard to get the ball away to be fair to him, and eventually he persihed trying to play a slog sweep for a delivery which he did not get the full grip of in terms of pace and length and got holed at deep square leg by Abhishek Sharma.

Axar Patel has stuck here. Who said left-arm spinners cannot bowl to left-handers? He bowled a couple of fuller ones and then pulled his length back as Fakhar tried to dance down the track and gave himself room; however, the length is where Zaman got tricked, and he ended up giving a catch to Tilak Varma at long-on. Salman Agha has walked into the middle, and he is quite a capable player; however, can he thrive under the pressure? We have to wait and see. This has been a mixed bag for both sides so far.

It is a solid power play for Pakistan. Although they have lost a couple of early wickets, they have managed to recover well later and have been able to make a decent account of themselves. Now the challenge for them is to deal with the Indian wrist spinners Varun and Kuldeep, who are in top form. Fakhar and Farhan both have given themselves a bit of time and are used to the pace of the conditions, and they need to prolong the partnership as long as they can. Once again, the need to be wary that this is not a 200-220 wicket, anything around 160-170 Pakistan can put a show on if there is no dew.

After that disastrous start from Pakistan, The Indian Express' cricket correspondent Devendra Pandey has a witty observation about the way the team has started the game.

This is a very interesting move from Suryakumar Yadav to use Jasprit Bumrah for the third over in Powerplay. Usually we have seen playing for Mumbai Indians or even the Indian T20I side in the past how carefully managed his overs are and preserved for the final overs but today there is recognation that there is a bit of swing on offer and obviously there is no better exponent then Bumrah but it is sort of a gamble from Surya as it will defeinetly handicap with options in the final over of the innings.

Fakhar Zaman and Farhan have launched a bit of counter-attack of sorts here. While India is well aware of what Fakhar can do, Farhan is a surprise package if he gets going. In his short career so far, he has shown vulnerability to the ball, which moves a bit into him because of the lack of foot movement, which is what Bumrah tried to exploit in the previous over; however, it ended up a bit on the shorter side, and Farhan played the pick up shot through the mid-wicket for a boundary.

Amit Kamath: Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram says that the current Pakistan cricket team’s playing XI looked a little “ajeeb (strange)” since there was a higher reliance on spinners compared to pacers. Pakistan are about to play their second game at the Asia Cup, facing arch-rivals India in a group stage clash.

“Very different. Badi ajeeb si lagi hai mujhe yeh change because Pakistan is famous for pacers. But I suppose it’s a case of horses for courses. It’s a dry pitch, as compared to other pitches, so maybe there will be some grip. Even I was hoping that if Pakistan wins the toss, they opt to bat first,” Akram said on Sony Liv.

Akram also pointed out that the average first innings score on this ground is 151 while the winning score batting first was 180.

“Pakistan have to make a minimum of 170 runs batting first. Hoping that there’s no dew on the ground,” he added.

Tushar Bhaduri: The decline in Pakistan cricket was evident on the first legitimate delivery of the match. After a wide to start with, Hardik Pandya's next offering was an innocuous short-of-length delivery, curving away from the left-handed Saim Ayub. It was an inviting ball, ripe to be flayed through the off-side. But the batsman seemed so tentative that he could only prod it in the air for an easy catch to Jasprit Bumrah at backward point. On cue, visuals of Pakistani fans in the stands with hands on their heads.

It seemed that they were almost paralysed with fear, and almost believed in the superiority of their opponents, thereby frazzling their brains.

In the next over, came an ill-advised swipe by Mohammad Haris against none other than Jasprit Bumrah. Even batsmen of proven pedigree and track record think twice before taking such risks against the best pace bowler in contemporary cricket. All Haris managed was a top edge, which Pandya pouched just outside the 30-yard circle.

The gulf in class was evident before the game, and the start almost put a stamp on it.

Pritish Raj: India's premier all rounder Hardik Pandya is all over the place within the ten minutes of the start of the match.Opening the bowling, Hardik got a wicket in the first legitimate delivery of his over. He got opener Saim Ayub with an outswinger. Ayub was caught on point by Jasprit Bumrah on point.Pandya returned the favour to Bumrah as in his over, Mohammed Haris tried to go aggresive but can only play a shot behind square and Pandya covered a lot of ground from long leg to catch it.

The Indians look upbeat with two early wickets and a good shout against Fakhar Zaman but his presence on the crease can be hope for Pakistan.

It is not a rocket science to bowl first here in UAE if win the toss because of how different conditions become when compared to first and second innings but the Pakistan way under Mike Hesson and Salman Agha has been to put runs on the board and rattle the opposition with the spinners but the flip side of that is they have to bear with the music of swinging conditions which is a thing in this ground or even Abu Dhabi when grass is left. And the wiser option for Pakistan would have been to see off Bumrah first up, but it was a bit of an inexperienced decision from young Haris.

Mohammad Haris too has fallen here, and it is Jasprit Bumrah. The batter tried to hit it on the leg-side, and the ball went high in the air, and Hardik Pandya at deep square leg took a very good catch. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, this is the last thing Pakistan wanted. The batters are looking like a cat on a hot tin roof here. They need to relax a bit. This is not a 180-pitch; they need to build a partnership and lay the platform for the end. As per India, Bumrah is right on the money, and these are ominous signs for Pakistan early in the piece.

Well, we already have the opening wicket in the first ball of the innings. It was a short wide one from Hardik Pandya, which Saim Ayub tried to cut and hit straight to the point. He would have wanted that delivery as the first ball any day of the week, but today he hit it straight to point fielder Jasprit Bumrah. Hardik now has his tail up. However, he did start with a couple of gentle looseners here in Dubai. Mohammad Haris has walked into the middle. He is the one who bailed Pakistan out of trouble when they lost early wickets against Oman.

The national anthems are done, the stage is set, it is quite hot and a bit unfavourable for playing cricket, but both teams would be used to playing in such weather. There was a bit of one-sidedness ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 even before the game began, but this time around, it is hard to expect what this Pakistan side gives, and they do seem to have a plan and method and are more focused on what they went to do, which has not been the case too often.

Pakistan cricket legend urges fans from both sides of the border to look at the India and Pakistan game as just a cricket match and not get carried away with criticism if their team loses.

“I’ve been saying this time and again, this is just a game. One team will lose and another will win. Let’s have fun, let’s enjoy. If your team wins, then enjoy. But if your team loses, don’t get carried away with your criticism. Don’t go below the belt. It’s just a game.”

Akram said that it was baking hot in Dubai.

“Mohol kaafi zabardast hai. Almost packed house hai,” Akram says from Dubai. “Weather ki baat karein toh kaafi garmi hai bahar.”

"This pitch seems drier compared to the rest and spin could be an important element," says Sanjay Manjrekar in the pitch report. "Pakistan feel this surface is on the slower side which can be seen in their selection," Ravi Shastri adds.

The usual roars greeted both captains — India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha — into the middle of the Dubai International Stadium, which was already half-filled. But at the toss for the showpiece match of the Asia Cup, Surya refused the customary handshake with Agha, who also did not show an initiative for the gesture after winning the coin flip and deciding to bat. He then handed over the team list to the umpire, paused for an obligatory chat with the commentator and retreated to the dressing room.

Surya had made up his mind on the morning of the game, The Indian Express has learned. Hours before the game, he conveyed his decision to the team that he would not oblige to the handshake. He, however, told his team that it was everyone’s individual choice whether to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. (Read more from Sandip G)

The exclusion of Arshdeep Singh from India’s playing XI for the game against Pakistan — the second game running at the Asia Cup — will be a talking point. But former India cricketer Virender Sehwag said that he understood the decision from the Indian think tank.

“If the team has won the previous game I don’t understand the need to change the combination. It’s okay, we have pacers as well in the team,” he said on Sony Liv in the pre-match show ahead of the game against Pakistan on Sunday.

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

We were looking to bowl first, happy with it. We played just one strip away, was a nice wicket and better to bat on in the night. It's humid so hoping for some dew. Same team.

Going to bat first. We've been playing good cricket, very excited. Looks like a slow wicket. Just want to bat first and put runs on the board. Same side. Have been here for 20-odd days and are used to the conditions.

Pakistan skipper Salman Agha won the toss and opted to bat first against Suryakumar Yadav's India.

An yorker festival is underway. Jasprit Bumrah at one side and Shaheen Afridi on the opposite side of the pitch. Both regularly hit the yellow plastic stumps and seemed content their chief weapon is working.

An hour for the game, only the lower stands are packed. The upper tiers are largely vacant,’perhaps owing to the searing heat.

Well, although it is not a battle as such and is unfair to compare both because of what they have achieved, Shaheen of late has definitely been on a rise after his brief fall and losing his way in his career. He still is not as complete as Bumrah, but he can definitely trouble the Indian batters if he can get that early swing. Bumrah, on the other hand, has looked a bit off-colour in recent times. He had a good IPL, but the series against England was a bit hot and cold. He is also getting into a phase of his career where he needs to take more care of his body, and the pace and other factors start to wane slowly.

When Babar Azam was taken off as captain, it did come as a bit of a surprise when Salman Agha was picked to lead the side however, Agha has shown recently how good he is temperamantelly and has the calmness to lead the side and is quite a felixible captain thus far in his short tenure but regardless he will be judged on the performance as a leader today and and his mettle as captain will be at display.

Well, it was Mohammad Nawaz who bowled that famous wide which R Ashwin left in the final of the 2022 World Cup game at the MCG. Since then, he has been in and out of the Pakistan side and has never been able to show his potential as a left-arm spinner and batter down the order. However, of late, things have turned for him similar to Varun Chakarvarthy under the new captain Salman Agha and Mike Hesson he seems to feel confident again and his recent performances show the same as he has won Man of the series in last of couple of tournaments Pakistan was part of and also he picked a hattrick in the final of Tri-series at Sharjah against Afghanistan.

The lack of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli for India, and Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan is an obvious mood dampener, especially for the countries that love their cricketing idols, but on the other hand, it is also an opportunity and time to see new stars in the game. Shubman Gill, especially in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, has shown he is ready to take on the baton, and for Pakistan, there are a few names that do pop up, but is there someone as elite as Babar-Rizwan who, although they have lost form in recent times, were quite prolific run scorers?

One of the fascinating things and talking points on the Indian side is about Sanju Samson. The batter has done quite well since he started to open; however, because of the inclusion of Shubman Gill and making him the vice-captain, he had to lose out on his opening spot, where he scored three tons. The first game for India against the UAE was not a match per se in terms of the quality India wants to face, hence it was unclear where Samson would bat and what his role is, but today against Pakistan, it is likely we have an idea of what role India has assigned for Samson in this team.

No Indian fan can forget the pain caused by Fakhar Zaman during the final of the Champions Trophy 2017. The batter was let go initially when Jasprit Bumrah had bowled a no-ball after his edge was taken behind the wicket. The shouthpaw went on to score a stellar 100 and made India pay as it was the first time Pakistan beat India in an ICC event. Although he is not as prolific in T20 cricket, Fakhar is quite a streaky player and can take the game away from India quite quickly.

"We are not just looking forward to the Pakistan-India match, but we are looking forward to winning the tournament."

There is quite a bit of not outrage per se, but questions by many pundits and former players about the presence of Shivam Dube in the Indian line-up. Although in theory it might be the spot of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is injured, Dube is filling in for now, but in today's game, he might come in handy. Regardless of all the limitations, he has a player who is quite brutal against spin, and Pakistan have four of them to feast upon if he manages to get his hitting range right, the Dubai crowd might witness some towering sixes through the warm evening.

Ideally, the team winning the toss must be looking to bowl first in these conditions however, so far in the tournament, we have not seen a lot of dew set in, but is it worth the risk in a high-profile game? Probably not. Batting or bowling first, India will manage to give a decent account of themselves, but the question is are Pakistan temperamentally and skillfully equipped enough to hold the nerve to chase runs? We have seen recently they have crumbled against Afghanistan in the Tri-series chasing a score in Sharjah.

One of the fascinating battles today will be to see how both Abhishek Sharma and Saim Ayub will fare in the contest. While both are youngsters, they do have the ability to take the game away from the opposition and are match-winners.

While Abhishek, even on international stages, has shown it, Saim Ayub is yet to display it on the big stage. Whoever gets going, their ability is such that they could make the match one-sided.

"We're aware of people's feelings, at the same time we've got to go out, and the guys get a chance to play for their country, and they'll be as professional and focused as they can be given the circumstance."

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.

Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

Arshdeep Singh's playing XI snub wasn't one that Indian fans predicted in the prelude to the fresh T20 season, starting in Dubai. For nearly an entire semester since starring alongside Jasprit Bumrah in the T20 World Cup, Arshdeep single-handedly led the pace attack against Bangladesh, South Africa and England while delivering immaculate consistency in the PP and at the death. It was not for nothing then that the left-armer soon vaulted to the top spot in India's T20I bowling charts and currently ranks as No. 1 with 99 scalps. Bringing back Arshdeep into the fold will not be easy as India will have to compromise some of its batting stocks to achieve a balance. But in an enticing IND-PAK contest, the Men in Blue might be tempted to bring Arshdeep back, even if it slightly goes against coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophies in such conditions.

It has only been four years since that hot March evening in Ahmedabad. After being denied a spot in India's conventional stack of T20 bats for long, Suryakumar Yadav ensured that his one chance at 31 would not go to the bin unnoticed. Marching to the turf, Mumbai's super-striker instantly delivered a statement for the world to see, smasing a scorching Jofra Archer's fiery bumper over fine-leg for six. Suryakumar Yadav's rapid rise in the shortest format was married with the changing winds in Indian cricket this decade, where the intent quotient steadily grew over the high-average bats. And he's not been short on consistency either. In only 80 innings, Suryakumar has plundered 2605 runs at 38.30 with four centuries, only bettered by Rohit Sharma.

Staggeringly, no batter has recorded even 2000 runs with a strike rate that matches up to the SKY juggernaut that dashes at 167.30 runs per 100 balls. Suryakumar's strike rate still stands the highest among all batters from Full-Member nations with at least 1500 runs. While his recent form has been patchy, a special 35th birthday on the field on Sunday might just do the trick for India's T20I captain.

While Suryakumar Yadav has struggled this year, his performance at Dubai International Stadium continues to remain a standout. In only nine innings, he has scored 188 runs with an average of 37.60, including one fifty. His innings have been punctuated by 15 fours and 11 sixes.

Ahead of the India vs Pakistan encounter in Dubai, here is our selection of five big games between the two arch-rivals.

2023: When India thrashed Pakistan by a massive 228 runs, thanks to Virat Kohli and KL Rahul both scoring centuries. Even captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill chipped in with half centuries to help India post 356/2 in 50 overs.

2010: When Harbhajan Singh dragged India to victory over Pakistan in Sri Lanka... with the bat!

2012: When Virat Kohli smashed 183 runs against Pakistan in Bangladesh in Sachin Tendulkar's final ODI match for Team India

2014: When Shahid Afridi helped Pakistan to victory with two sixes in final over

2022: When Hardik Pandya became Team India's hero

READ MORE

Should India be playing Pakistan? That’s a question many fans will confront today in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir earlier this year.

Aishanya Dwivedi, the widow of Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, has asked fans to not switch on their TV today for the India vs Pakistan game.

"BCCI should not have accepted a match between India and Pakistan. I think the BCCI is not sentimental towards those 26 families. What are our cricketers doing? It is said that cricketers are nationalists. It is viewed as our national game. But except for one or two cricket players, nobody has stepped forward to say that we should boycott the match against Pakistan. BCCI cannot make them play at gunpoint. They should take a stand for their country. But they are not doing it,” Dwivedi told new agency ANI before the game.

She added: “I would like to ask the sponsors and broadcasters if their nationality for those 26 families is finished?What will the revenue from the match be used for? Pakistan will use this just for terrorism. That is a terrorist nation. You will provide them revenue and prepare them to attack us once again. I cannot understand this. I urge people to boycott this. Do not go to watch this and do not switch on your TV for this."

There has been plenty of chatter about the Indian cricket team taking on Pakistan in an Asia Cup encounter today, especially after the heinous Pahalgam terror attack earlier in the year. The BCCI's decision to allow Team India to play in the Asia Cup has generated plenty of criticism.

Talking about politics of an India vs Pakistan encounter, guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, "Games should be left as games. Politics should not enter the games. But unfortunately, that is not the case now. I will leave the decision to the young people of our country. If they want to play, nobody should stop them. Games unite people from all over the world... Players are not politicians, they are free. We should explore every avenue in which we can bring more peace to society."

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has called for the Indian team to pick Arshdeep Singh in the side for Asia Cup games.

"You will have to bring him (Arshdeep) in the XI. You should also look at the road ahead. It is possible that they could be thinking, 'Asia Cup is Asia Cup, let's get the Asia Cup out of the way and then we'll see what happens next.'

"That kind of thought process can be in your mind, but in my view, my thought process is this: if you can lock Shubman Gill at the opening, you can lock Suryakumar Yadav at number four, you can lock Jasprit Bumrah at number 11, then he is fit and you can bring him into the team. Someone who has been your best T20 bowler, why doesn't he get a lock in the team? He should! You write all those names first and then fit the rest into the team," Ashwin said on the Ash Ki Baat YouTube channel.

"See, this rule that there is a different rule for a batsman and a bowler, it has always been an issue in my head. It's not right to do that. And with respect to bowling and batting, sometimes decisions about bowlers are taken by batsmen. Sometimes, people who have never bowled a single ball in their life, but bowlers have been doing that forever. So, it's very difficult for them to understand a bowler's mindset and his confidence. So as a bowler, think about his confidence. Arshdeep Singh, if you are telling him, 'Brother, you have to contribute a little more with the bat,' he will contribute. He will work hard. But if you are consistently parking him..."

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has said that he is not happy with the side that Pakistan have taken to the UAE for the Asia Cup.

"I think Pakistan has to bring an A+ squad (to an event like Asia Cup), first of all. I have a problem with the selection anyway, with this old squad in the first place. You don't have a new ball bowler with Shaheen Shah Afridi. If the fast bowler is there, he should be in the squad," said Akhtar on PTV Sports.

When asked which bowler he would have picked, he said: "Naseem Shah."

He went on: "Fast bowlers are like babies, right? Selection is not right. Now the problem is that you don't have the whole bowling attack."

There have been plenty of calls for a boycott of the India vs Pakistan game in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and the consequent Operation Sindoor.

But Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has exhorted players and fans to 'enjoy' the match as 'it's a game of cricket'.

Talking to French news-gathering agency AFP, Akram said, "Enjoy, it's a game of cricket. "Forget about everything other than cricket. One team will win, and one team will lose.

"Just enjoy the moment if you win the game. Pressure will come, enjoy that and show discipline because this is just a game. It's for both teams and for both sets of fans."

Three months before the famous Dubai Shopping Festival, when the shopping cognoscenti of the world descends, the sun-drained metropolis would behold a pageant of spinners at the Dubai International Cricket stadium, in lieu with the proud spin traditions of the two fierce rivals, India and Pakistan

Read more from Sandip G here

Since India and Pakistan last played each other, which was at the 2024 T20 World Cup, India have scored at a rate of 9.66, which is the third best among full member nations. Pakistan, meanwhile, have gone at 8.12, which is the seventh best.

India have gone with just one fast bowler thus far in Jasprit Bumrah, along with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. With pitches in the UAE tending to play slow, India have packed the spin department with Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel - with the part-time talents of Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma also at their disposal. It will be a surprise if they move away from this combination today.

There are few batters in the world more destructive than Suryakumar Yadav. Well, there are maybe none. And yet, we haven't really seen the best of the Indian captain when playing against Pakistan. In five T20Is he has played against them, SKY has scored just 64 runs at a strike rate of 118.51 and average of 12.80. In this time, SKY has had to face some world class talent in the Pakistan bowling lineup. But this struggle remains strange simply because well, SKY has made quite a few world class attacks look utterly toothless.

In his recent Ash ki Baat conversation on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Ravishandran Ashwin gave the Indian cricket team a whopping 70 per cent chance of winning the contest against arch-rival Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai.

“I would say 70-30 in favor of India. India has a very strong team. Pakistan also has very talented people. But I think India has a lot of muscle,” Ashwin said.

He did however add that it would be Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha who would be the happier one with the state of pitches being provided for the Asia Cup.

“The match that happened between Pakistan and Oman. It seemed like Oman bowled well, but the wicket wasn't that easy to bat on either. If I were Salman Ali Agha and had a middle-order batsman like Hasan, I'd be very happy playing on the pitches that are currently being provided for the Asia Cup. It feels like they haven't dried the wicket too much, so it has more moisture. The wicket has a lot of moisture and the grass is also a bit thick. Because of this, you are not seeing much lateral movement. But there is a tendency for the ball to go up and down. Actually, lateral movement will reduce after some time. But it's very difficult to handle this up and down bounce,” Ashwin added.

Tanishq Vaddi: About 1480 days ago, Varun Chakarvarthy was part of that infamous India 10-wicket loss against Pakistan in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since he has come a long way as a bowler, however, he did not have the opportunity to redeem himself against Pakistan. Back then, he came in as a mystery spinner after a successful IPL campaign, but on that day, under high pressure, he could not weave his magic, and to be fair to him, conditions were against him with a lot of dew, and the total from India posted too was a subpar one.

His selection too came under sharp criticism as he was picked over Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad at the time. But things have changed this time around. He has a lot more finesse to his variations and, most importantly, is mentally ready to deal with the pressure of the stage after his success in the last year as an Indian cricketer and, most importantly, after his performance at the Champions Trophy 2025 (50-over format) earlier this year, where he picked nine wickets from three games.

With all he achieved in the last year in the T20 format, his arc of redemption is set up nicely.

In his recent Ash ki Baat conversation on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Ravishandran Ashwin was asked about the low demand for tickets for the India vs Pakistan game in Dubai and whether it means that the hype for the clash is dulling.

“Actually, I don't know much about the hype. But one thing I feel is that maybe tickets for the Super Four game (between India and Pakistan) will sell. Because I think the situation is people are selling tickets by making a package of all the games, right? Where if you want to watch the India vs Pakistan match, you also have to watch the Pakistan vs Oman match. Nobody wants to watch all this, man, and it's a waste of money. Why would people want to watch that? And I think all in all, we can only tell what the ticket sales are like after the Super Four games, whether the craze has gone down or not. But the India vs Pakistan match, I generally feel, has become a bit of a lopsided contest. India's strength is known to everyone. It's not like anyone. I mean, even I'm sure the Pakistani experts will definitely say that this Indian team is very, very strong compared to Pakistan's. But this thing about the tickets, I think we will get an idea after the Super Four game.”

You may have noticed that the two sets of players you see today are significantly different from the ones that were seen regularly in recent fixtures between India and Pakistan. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have tormented Pakistan for years on end in ODIs and T20Is, Ravindra Jadeja may be slightly less so. All three are not there today as they retired from the format after powering India to victory in the T20 World Cup last year.

Meanwhile, Indian fans would also remember watching in shock as Shaheen Afridi dismantled their top order in the match the two sides played in the 2021 T20 World Cup, followed by Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chasing the target down themselves and ensuring a 10-wicket win for Pakistan. Well, there is no Rizwan and Babar today. But unlike the Indian trio, it isn't because they have retired from the shortest format. Rizwan and Babar have many a year left in their careers and their absence today is because of Pakistan finally deciding to move on from them in this format. For now, at least.

"You should see the body language of even the new players that come into the (Indian) team. They brim with confidence. They come ready, they have already played a hundred games in full-house, they have already shared the dressing room with international stars. They don't have pressure or fear and are full of confidence. Even their B team can win the Asia Cup!” Afridi was quoted as saying in an interview with Pakistani media.

Tanishq Vaddi: Before Gautam Gambhir took over as Head Coach under Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, India had struggled to fit in enough left-handers into the side. Although they got that part right during the 2024 T20 World Cup when they had Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel and Ravidnra Jadeja and Shivam Dube in the top eight in the 2022 World Cup in Australia, they just had one in the top seven. And the advantage of having that left-hand right-hand combination was seen when Axar Patel was promoted up the order when India lost three quick wickets in the final against South Africa in Barbados.

Gambhir has always been an advocate of left-hand right-hand combination during his franchise coaching roles in the Indian Premier League, and the same philosophy has been brought into the Indian side under his leadership. Against the Pakistan attack, which has a variety of spinners, Saim Ayub (off-spinner), Mohammad Nawaz (left-arm spinner), Abrar Ahmed (leg-spinner) and Sufiyan Muqeem (Left-arm wrist spinner), the Indian side has enough variety in batting now to deal with all kinds of bowling.

Should India be playing Pakistan? That’s a question many fans will confront today in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir earlier this year.

Aishanya Dwivedi, the widow of Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, has asked fans to not switch on their TV today for the India vs Pakistan game.

"BCCI should not have accepted a match between India and Pakistan. I think the BCCI is not sentimental towards those 26 families. What are our cricketers doing? It is said that cricketers are nationalists. It is viewed as our national game. But except for one or two cricket players, nobody has stepped forward to say that we should boycott the match against Pakistan. BCCI cannot make them play at gunpoint. They should take a stand for their country. But they are not doing it,” Dwivedi told new agency ANI before the game.

She added: “I would like to ask the sponsors and broadcasters if their nationality for those 26 families is finished?What will the revenue from the match be used for? Pakistan will use this just for terrorism. That is a terrorist nation. You will provide them revenue and prepare them to attack us once again. I cannot understand this. I urge people to boycott this. Do not go to watch this and do not switch on your TV for this."

Tanishq Vaddi: Hardik Pandya and Faheem Ashraf almost play a similar role for their sides. However, Hardik is much more rounded in terms of both skills and experience at this stage of the game. His power game at the backend is quite lethal, and his bowling has come leaps and bounds over the years. From taking the new ball and swinging it, he also has masterful slower ones to rattle the batters through the middle overs and the final ones, at least for white-ball, Pandya is an all-condition all-rounder.

Now, if we consider Faheem Ashraf, he did burst onto the scene with a lot of expectations somewhere down the line, Pakistan has mismanaged his ability and could not develop him to the extent that Hardik has for India. However, for Sunday’s clash, he could not be taken lightly as he brings his share of tricks in these conditions, especially with the older ball, where his slower ones are quite deceptive and with the bat, he definitely can tonk a few out of the park at eight.

In May this year, right after 26 lives were lost in the Pahalgam terror attack, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked if India should be playing Pakistan in cricket tournaments.

“My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this [terrorism] doesn't stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan,” Gambhir had said in May while speaking at an event in Delhi.

"Ultimately, this is [the] government's decision whether we play them or not," Gambhir said. "I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens. Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform, but nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family.

"This is not up to me, it's not in my jurisdiction, this is for the BCCI and, more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not. Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicise it."

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has explained the one aspect that the Pakistan cricket team must take care of in order to defeat India today. Malik was a panelist on the Game On Hai show on Pakistan PTV, when he was asked what aspect would give Pakistan their best chance against India.

To this, Malik replied: “The toss is obviously not in their hands. It's not in any team's hands. It's not in anyone's hands. But the best possible chance for Pakistan is to get three to four of their players out, and that too for very few runs so that you can then play such a game with them that they stay below 160, below 150. So, I think this is a chance where I feel the Pakistan team can beat the Indian team.

“This is one, or the second scenario is that your spinners in the middle overs, both your spinners, get three wickets each. That can become a chance. If both of them play, Sufiyan Muqeem and Ibrar. If both of them play, then you have that chance because if their batsmen don't get out, whether they bat first or second, you are never in the game.”

The way the game is moving forward, anchors in T20, has become sort of dreaded word in T20 cricket. However, going back to the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, when the Indian side was in trouble, it was Virat Kohli with his 59-ball 76 saved the day for India indicating that there is still room for such players when the conditions require however, India could afford to have someone like Kohli who is an anchor of sorts in the modern game is because of Rohit Sharma’s change of approach after the 2023 World Cup.

Drawing a similar parallel with Pakistan both Babar and Rizwan altough are technically sound players they do have their limitations in stroke play but in the recently concluded Tri-series in Sharjah the Pakistan middle order was quite combustble and have seen collapses too often which raises the question could Pakistan have stuck with atleast one of Babar or Rizwan in the side just as an insuarnce policy when the par scores are around 160-180 which is more often than not the case in Dubai.

The Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday will be the first time that the arch-rivals square off after the Pahalgam terror attack and the consequent Operation Sindoor in May. There are plenty of questions about whether India should be playing Pakistan at all. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed this issue in the dressing room.

“We obviously are aware of the sentiments and the strong feelings. And Gauti's (Gambhir's) message has just been very professional, about not worrying about things that are not in our control," India’s assistant coach said in the pre-match press conference. “You have to put those sentiments and emotions behind you. It's actually something addressed in the team meeting today. So we're aware of people's feelings. At the same time, we would put these aside and focus on the game.”

Pakistan, under Mike Hesson, have changed significantly in terms of the combination they are picking. Under the previous regimes their attack had been constructed around pace with the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf but with the new captain Salman Agha at the helm the side has been more inclined towards picking up multiple spinners in their attack and in a way the combination is similar to the Indian side with Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Men in Green and Jasprit Bumrah for the Men in Blue as lone pacers and the rest of the attack is constructed with spin all-rounders and mystery spinners.

Both sides, when met earlier in the year at the Champions Trophy 2025 India, have opted for this combination, where Pakistan played the pace-heavy side, which did look toothless on the docile Dubai wicket on that day. Although it is early cricket season in the UAE, the evidence so far in Dubai suggests the pitches have not been too different from the ones from the Champions Trophy, if anything slightly more pacier and even carry.

Sandip G, The Indian Express’ man on the ground in UAE for the Asia Cup, writes that the mood on the ground is muted, even for the big India vs Pakistan game.

He writes: “Watching Friday’s match against UAE on television, a Pakistan supporter enthusiastically says, ‘Hum India ko 70 runs mein all out karenge (We will get them all-out in 70 runs),’ only to add moments later: ‘Aur woh humko 50 mein all out karega! Umeed nahi hai (But they will get us out in 50 runs. There is no hope).’

“It was a rivalry that was once equal, replete with magnetic personas. Now, it has lost its competitive edge: India are world champions, the runaway leaders on the ranking pile, and Pakistan sit seventh, a spot below Sri Lanka, just precariously ahead of Bangladesh.”

Read Sandip G’s dispatch from Dubai HERE.

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns once again, this time in a T20I, having earlier faced each other in an ODI in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai. They will be playing in Dubai today as well. The last time the two sides faced each other in a T20I was during the T20 World Cup last year, which India went on to win. It ended with their stars like captain Rohit Sharma, the talismanic Virat Kohli and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja retiring from the format. Pakistan are also without two of their most recognisable names today. However, the reason Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's absence today is that they have been dropped. These are two teams at two very different stages of their evolution - India are dominant, Pakistan are trying to rebuild. Stay tuned for more updates...