India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his team’s decision to avoid handshakes with Pakistan players following their Asia Cup clash in Dubai was a deliberate one taken in alignment with the BCCI and government.The match, which was the first meeting between the countries since the Pahalgam attack in April, ended in a commanding seven-wicket win for India. The post-match scene drew attention as both teams walked off without the customary gesture of shaking hands.“We took a call as we came here to only play. We gave a proper reply. We are aligned with BCCI and government,” Suryakumar told reporters after the match on Sunday. Earlier, Suryakumar had also used the moment to dedicate the victory to the armed forces and victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. “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,” he said at the presentation ceremony. On the field, India’s spinners played a decisive role in restricting Pakistan to 127 for nine. Kuldeep Yadav led with figures of 3 for 18, while Axar Patel chipped in with 2 for 18. Fast bowlers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah provided early breakthroughs to give India the upper hand. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40 for Pakistan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late cameo of 33 not out off 16 balls ensured his side batted out their overs. In reply, India chased the target in 15.5 overs. Abhishek Sharma powered through to 31 off 13 balls to give the innings early psuh, while Tilak Varma added 31 before Suryakumar completed the chase with an unbeaten 47, sealing the result with a six.
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The victory strengthened India’s position at the top of Group A with two wins from two matches, effectively securing their progress to the Super Fours.
