BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has officially commented on the stir created after the India-Pakistan Asia Cup encounter, emphasizing that the spotlight should remain firmly on India’s impressive victory rather than any lingering controversy.
The aftermath of Sunday’s thrilling India-Pakistan Asia Cup match led to considerable discussion, particularly concerning Team India’s choice not to engage in the customary post-match handshake with the Pakistani players. This move notably caught the attention of both the PCB and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.
Saikia underscored the paramount importance of savoring India’s decisive triumph and urged all parties to disregard comments from other sources.
“I can confidently state that India achieved a magnificent victory. It was a dominant performance by the Indian team, nothing more and nothing less. India won the match with such comfort, and we should be relishing this achievement instead of dwelling on the ‘noise’ generated by any third party or opposing countries. We ought not to be concerned by it. Instead, we should commend our players and take immense pride in their outstanding performance. We are optimistic that this winning momentum will carry us through to the final match of the tournament,” Saikia conveyed to IANS.
India’s seven-wicket win against Pakistan marked their second victory in the tournament, securing their position in the crucial Super Four stage.
Post-match, while Pakistani players awaited the traditional gesture of sportsmanship, the Indian team returned to their dressing room, opting not to partake in the handshake tradition.
During the subsequent press conference, Team India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, clarified the decision: “Our government and the BCCI; we were completely aligned today. Beyond that, we made a collective decision. We came here simply to play the game, and we believe we delivered a proper reply with our performance.”
India is set to face Oman in their next Asia Cup Group A match on September 19, which will be held at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.