Dubai: Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the team’s emphatic seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup to the nation’s armed forces and expressed solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking after India secured their second consecutive win in the tournament, Suryakumar acknowledged the significance of the match — India’s first cricket face-off against Pakistan since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure across the border in May.
“I think this is the perfect occasion to stand with the families affected by the Pahalgam terror attack and to express our solidarity,” Suryakumar told broadcasters. “More importantly, we want to dedicate today’s win to our armed forces, who have shown immense bravery. We hope to continue drawing inspiration from them and give them more reasons to be proud whenever we can.”
Notably, the Indian and Pakistan teams did not engage in the customary post-match handshake. There was also no handshake between the two captains — Suryakumar and Pakistan’s Salman Agha — during the coin toss, as they submitted their team sheets to match referee Andy Pycroft and interacted with former India player Ravi Shastri. Pakistan skipper Salman Agha skipped the presentation ceremony, with head coach Mike Hesson later attributing his absence to “cause and effect after what happened” post-match.
The victory was especially sweet for Suryakumar, who celebrated his 35th birthday on the day. India comfortably chased 128, winning with seven wickets in hand and 35 balls to spare.
“It’s a great feeling and the perfect return gift to India,” said Suryakumar, after fans sang for him before his interview. “It’s not something I planned beforehand — it just keeps running through your mind. Playing a game like this, you want to win, and when you do, there’s always something special about it.”
Suryakumar also relished finishing the match with a six off Sufiyan Muqeem. “I always wanted to stay till the end, and that was the need of the hour today. I loved staying not out till the end,” he said.
On using spinners early in the game, Suryakumar said the strategy continues the approach set by the team during the Champions Trophy in February. “I’ve always been a fan of spinners because they control the game in the middle overs. Post powerplay, our spinners were amazing,” he added.
Man of the Match Kuldeep Yadav, who recorded figures of 4-0-18-3, said he didn’t follow any fixed plans against Pakistan’s batters. “You react to the batter and their strengths. I had my plans and just executed them,” he said, while acknowledging room for improvement. “I need to work on my bowling consistently. Sometimes I try too many variations, but I learn day by day, game by game. There’s a lot of scope to get better.”
