Asia Cup 2025: India Thrash Pakistan By 7 Wickets, Players Refrain From Shaking Hands

Dubai: India put up a spectacular show as they thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by 7 wickets in their league game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 here on Sunday. First, the Indian spinners spun their web around the Pakistani batters as they restricted the opposition to a meagre 127 for 9 and then chased the target without much fuss with 25 balls to spare.

The game saw signs of strain that spilt onto the cricket field, as both skippers, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha, displayed reluctance to shake hands, a customary gesture in cricket matches.

Despite calls for boycotting the match from certain quarters as a mark of protest for the Pahalgam terror attack in April, a near full-capacity crowd dominated by 85 percent Indian fans witnessed a clinical decimation of Pakistan -- one ball at a time.

And to rub it in, neither at the toss nor at the end of the match did the Indian players shake hands with their counterparts from Pakistan, even as they waited in a queue moments after skipper Suryakumar Yadav sealed the issue with a six.

Chasing 128, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill started positively. Abhishek started with a boundary off Shaheen Afridi and on the very next ball smashed a six. India started aggressively with 12 for no loss after the first over

Pakistan then got rid of Shubman Gill (10), after he hit two back-to-back boundaries. The carrom ball did the trick for Saib Ayub as Gill was stumped.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav joined Abhishek Sharma in the middle, and there was no stopping the Punjab batter, who kept playing his shots. After three overs, India was cruising at 33 for 1. The dangerous-looking Abhishek Sharma made the long walk to the pavilion after making 31 as India lost its second wicket for 41.

With still 87 runs needed, Tilak Varma joined Surya in the middle. After four overs, India was poised at 42 for 2. Tilak was the aggressor of the two as 11 runs came off the sixth over, and after the power play, India was 61 for 2

With no required run rate pressure, the duo batters at ease. Surya also joined the party and played the odd shot. Tilak was on a rampage as he dispatched a loose delivery off Sufiyan Muqeem into the stands.

The game was a one-sided affair. India was 88 for 2 after 10 overs and needed just 40 more runs to finish the game. Ayub dismissed Tilak Varma (31) as cleaned him up but it was too little and too late. With just 31 more runs needed, in walked Shivam Dube (10 not out).

Birthday boy Surya kept playing shots at ease, and Dube also opened his arms as after 15 overs, India was just 123 for 3 and just a shot away from an emphatic win.

Surya hit the winning runs, a towering six, and also remained unbeaten on 47. India chased the target in 15.5 overs as celebrations erupted in their camp.

Earlier, Indian bowlers rose to the occasion as they restricted Pakistan to just 127 for 9. The spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy (1 for 24), Kuldeep Yadav (3 for 18) and Axar Patel (2 for 18) ran through the opposition as they shared six wickets among them.

Pakistan's decision to bat first seemed to backfire as they were in deep trouble at 6 for 2 having lost two wickets early. Opener Saib Ayub departed on the first ball of the game for a duck after he was caught by Jasprit Bumrah off right-arm pacer Hardik Pandya (1 for 34).

It was wicketkeeper Mohammed Harris who was then dismissed by Bumrah (2 for 28). Harris managed to score just 3 runs off 5 balls before being caught by Hardik Pandya. As Harris made the long walk to the dressing room, in walked Fakhar Zaman, who joined opener Sahibzada Farhan.

Farhan made a cautious start while Zaman was a bit aggressive, having smashed two boundaries in the third over off Pandya.

The first six of the game came from Farhan, who dispatched an off delivery from Bumrah into the stands in the fourth over. After four overs, Pakistan was 26/2.

India introduced spin in the fifth over by bringing in Varun Chakravarthy. Both the Pakistani batters seemed to have pulled the side out of trouble as after six overs, they cantered to 42 for 2. Eight runs came in the fifth and the sixth over.

For the record, Farhan is only the sixth batter to hit multiple sixes off Jasprit Bumrah in T20Is. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav was introduced in the seventh over, and he conceded only 2 runs as the Pakistani duo was put under pressure again.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was introduced in the 8th over as it was spin from both ends. Axar proved his skipper Suryakumar Yadav's decision right as he got rid of the dangerous Fakhar Zaman, who was caught by Tilak Varma. Fakhar and Farhan forged a 39-run stand. Pakistan lost their third wicket for 45, and Salman Ali Agha joined Farhan in the middle. Spin continued, and it put a halt to the flow of runs.

Axar struck for the second time in quick succession as he removed Salman Ali Agha (3), who did not trouble the scorers. Pakistan was teetering at 49 for 4 after 10 overs.

Farhan was going strong at one end but was devoid of partners. Kuldeep then struck twice in quick succession as Pakistan was reeling at 64 for 6, and they had meekly surrendered to the Indian attack.

Farhan was successful in reviewing a decision in his favour, and then he found some support from Faheem Ashraf. But in a bid to up the ante, Farhan also perished after making 40, as Hardik Pandya notched up a brilliant catch in the deep. It was Kuldeep who dismissed Farha, and with it, Pakistan's hopes for a big score were diminished.

Some brisk hitting by Shaheen Afridi, who remained unbeaten on 33 off just 20 balls, in the end helped Pakistan to cross the 120-run mark

Pakistan decided to bat after winning the toss at the Dubai International Stadium. This is the first time India are playing Pakistan after the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed and the Operation Sindoor.

There has been opposition to this game from parties like Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Coming back to the game, both teams are unchanged. India have decided to retain their winning combination from the game against the United Arab Emirates, which they won by 9 wickets.

Unlike other matches, when there is a full crowd for India versus Pakistan matches, the Dubai International Stadium is not packed.

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