Dubai, UAE In a one sided showdown at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India claimed a convincing seven-wicket victory over their long-time rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Group A match. However, the game was marred by an unusual and tense atmosphere after the final whistle, as the Indian team chose to skip the traditional handshake with their opponents, sparking a wave of diplomatic and emotional reactions.
Match Summary: Spinners and Suryakumar Shine in a Dominant Display
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Pakistan found themselves in trouble right from the start. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah made early inroads, leaving them at a precarious 6 for 2. The Indian spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav (3/18), Axar Patel (2/18), and Varun Chakaravarthy (1/24) then took charge, stifling the Pakistani middle order and putting them in a tough spot. A late surge from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who smashed a quick 33 not out off just 16 balls, helped Pakistan reach a total of 127 for 9.
India’s chase was a textbook example of controlled aggression. Opener Abhishek Sharma set the pace with a rapid 31 off 13 balls. The innings was then steadied by a calm performance from skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who finished unbeaten with 47 runs off 37 balls. He capped off the victory with a towering six, guiding his team to a comfortable win with 25 balls remaining.
Man of the Match & Top Run Scorer
Kuldeep Yadav was rightfully named “Player of the Match” for his mesmerizing bowling display. The wrist spinner was simply unplayable, taking three vital wickets for just 18 runs and effectively dismantling Pakistan’s batting order during the middle overs.
Suryakumar Yadav was the highest run scorer of the match with his unbeaten 47. For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan led the scoring with a steady 40 runs.
The Handshake Controversy
The most discussed moment of the evening came after the last ball was bowled. Instead of participating in the customary post match handshake, tensions flared, leading to a significant stir in the cricketing community.
🚨 PCB decided not to send their captain Salman Ali Agha for the post-match presentation as a protest against India, who skipped the customary handshakes.
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) September 15, 2025
In a statement, PCB deemed India's behaviour 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 and against the spirit of the game #indvspak2025… pic.twitter.com/zGJHWGvHja
Match Scorecard: India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025
| Pakistan Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Saim Ayub c Bumrah b Pandya | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sahibzada Farhan c Pandya b Kuldeep | 40 | 44 | 1 | 3 | 90.9 |
| Mohammad Haris c Pandya b Bumrah | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| Fakhar Zaman c Varma b Axar | 17 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 113.33 |
| Salman Agha c Sharma b Axar | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Hasan Nawaz c Patel b Kuldeep | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 |
| Mohammad Nawaz lbw b Kuldeep | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Faheem Ashraf lbw b Chakaravarthy | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Shaheen Afridi not out | 33 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 206.25 |
| Sufiyan Muqeem b Bumrah | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 166.66 |
| Abrar Ahmed not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total (20 overs) | 127/9 | 6.35 |
| India Bowling | O | M | R | W | ER |
| Hardik Pandya | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 11.33 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7 |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | 4 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 6 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 4 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 4.5 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| India Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Abhishek Sharma c Ashraf b Ayub | 31 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 238.46 |
| Shubman Gill st Haris b Ayub | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 142.85 |
| Suryakumar Yadav not out | 47 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 127.02 |
| Tilak Varma b Ayub | 31 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 100 |
| Shivam Dube not out | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 142.85 |
| Total (15.5 overs) | 131/3 | 8.27 |
| Pakistan Bowling | O | M | R | ER | |
| Shaheen Afridi | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 11.5 |
| Pakistan Bowling | O | 0 | 35 | 3 | 8.75 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 9 |
| Sufiyan Muqeem | 2.5 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 10.23 |
