Dubai: After India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup, skipper Suryakumar Yadav addressed the decision not to shake hands with the opposition, stating that the team “gave them a proper reply.”
Suryakumar’s unbeaten 47 and economical bowling from spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were key highlights as India continued their dominant T20I form at Dubai on Sunday.
On the post-match handshake, Suryakumar explained, “Our government and BCCI were aligned. When we came here, we took a call. We were here to just play the game. We gave them a proper reply.”
He also responded to the criticism Team India faced for going ahead with the match despite the Pahalgam terror attacks in April and the subsequent Operation Sindoor by the Indian Armed Forces. “We shut out 70 to 80 percent of outside noise. Our players and support staff decided to focus only on the game, staying away from distractions. This allowed us to plan and execute with a clear mind, and the crowd support helped us immensely,” he added.
In the match, Pakistan batted first after winning the toss but were reduced to 6/2 early on. A 39-run partnership between Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 44 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (17 off 15 balls, with three fours) steadied the innings, but India restricted Pakistan to 97/8. A late surge from Shaheen Shah Afridi (33* off 16 balls, with four sixes) lifted them to 127/9 in 20 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav was India’s standout bowler with figures of 3/18, supported by Axar Patel (2/18) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/28), while Hardik Pandya claimed one wicket.
During India’s chase, two early wickets fell in the powerplay, but Abhishek Sharma’s 31 off 13 balls (with four boundaries and two sixes) provided a strong start. A stabilizing 56-run partnership between Suryakumar (47* off 37 balls, with five fours and a six) and Tilak Varma (31 off 31 balls, with two fours) kept India on track. Suryakumar carried the innings through with Shivam Dube (10*), guiding India to a seven-wicket victory with 25 balls to spare.
Kuldeep Yadav earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his impressive spell, while India now leads Group A with two wins from as many matches.
