Handshakes, or quite the absence of them, have been within the eye of the storm ever for the reason that denouement of the Group-A conflict between India and Pakistan within the Asia Cup final Sunday (September 14, 2025).
With the storm removed from subsiding, the two arch-rivals will meet once more on the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (September 21, 2025).
This time, the stakes are even greater, for a win to kick issues off within the Super Four stage will go a great distance in the direction of facilitating the trail to the ultimate on September 28.
In the aftermath of the primary encounter, the hunt for one-upmanship on the again of India’s refusal to shake palms with Pakistan’s gamers noticed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demand the removing of match referee Andy Pycroft from the match.
PCB president Mohsin Naqvi’s competition was that Pycroft had prohibited each captains from shaking palms on the time of the toss. The ICC has categorically rejected that demand.
In the midst of all of the off-field drama, the convenience with which India brushed apart Pakistan in that first fixture has nearly been ignored. If the competition between bat and ball has to now return to the forefront, it is going to require Salman Agha’s males to present way more talent and shrewdness than they managed final week.
In latest occasions, the rivalry has been fuelled extra by previous baggage and public sentiments than riveting duels on the sector. After India’s most up-to-date rout of Pakistan by seven wickets, the head-to-head within the shortest format has swayed additional within the former’s route. In 14 contests, considered one of which was tied, the Men in Blue have received 10 whereas Pakistan has prevailed simply thrice.
For Pakistan to spark a reversal in fortunes, a means to negate India’s spin triumvirate could have to be discovered. At this venue final weekend, the facet floundered on two counts: as well as to dropping six wickets to Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy, it was additionally far too cautious with its price of scoring, seldom exerting any stress again on the Indian tweakers. It resulted in a subpar whole of 127 for 9 that the eight-time champion overhauled with 25 deliveries to spare.
While Suryakumar experimented with two specialist pacers on the expense of Varun for the inconsequential affair in opposition to Oman on Friday, India ought to revert to its mixture of three spinners for the marquee outing. Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the Oman tie, will even return to spearhead the assault. In the batting division, Sanju Samson’s half-century versus Oman, although not his most fluent, bodes properly.
Pakistan, quite the opposite, has severe issues to confront. None extra so than the wretched run of Saim Ayub on the prime of the order. The 23-year-old southpaw is but to rating a run on this competitors, having been dismissed for 3 consecutive geese within the preliminary stage. If not for his useful off-breaks, he wouldn’t warrant a spot within the workforce. The type of skipper Salman is one other fear.
The boys in inexperienced want to place way more consideration on fixing these points. And maybe not fear a lot concerning the ritual of handshakes.
The groups (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana and Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Agha (Capt.), Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Match begins at 8 p.m. IST.
Published – September 20, 2025 07:50 pm IST