The Asia Cup has seen India and Pakistan’s cricket rivalry reach new heights, both on and off the field, with dramatic matches, gestures turned into controversies, disciplinary actions, and political undertones dominating headlines for three weeks. All this will intensify as the two teams square off today (September 28) in the final, marking the first time India and Pakistan have met in the tournament’s championship match.
On-Field Drama
- The teams met twice in the tournament: In the group stage, India triumphed over Pakistan by seven wickets, propelled by Suryakumar Yadav’s commanding chase and Kuldeep Yadav’s three-wicket haul.
- In the Super 4s, India successfully chased down 172 runs, with Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 74 marking their highest-ever T20 chase against Pakistan.
- Now, both nations face each other in the Asia Cup final for the first time in history, setting the stage for an electrifying and tension-filled contest.
Off-Field Controversies
The first India-Pakistan match ignited a ‘no-handshake’ controversy when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav conspicuously avoided shaking hands with skipper Salman Ali Agha, both at the toss and after the match. The situation escalated further after Suryakumar dedicated India’s victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, explicitly mentioning ‘Operation Sindoor.’ This act prompted a formal protest from the Pakistan Cricket Board, who perceived it as overt political messaging.
Surya’s statement read: "We stand by the victims of the families of Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. We want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to put a smile on their face."
Further tension was fueled by Pakistani batter Sahibzada Farhan intensifying the acrimony by mimicking a gunshot with his bat after scoring a fifty, while pacer Haris Rauf made a ‘plane crash’ gesture. Both actions were widely interpreted as references to historical military conflicts and occurred during the second match between the rivals.
Following India’s refusal to shake hands, Pakistan demanded the removal of the match referee. After protracted negotiations, Pakistan threatened to withdraw from the tournament, leading to a crucial standoff that delayed the Pakistan vs. UAE match by an hour while talks were held to placate the PCB. Ultimately, the match proceeded, and the tournament continued without further disruption.
India maintained its policy of not shaking hands even after the second match and opted out of the pre-final photoshoot. Pakistan, for its part, largely boycotted press conferences midway through the tournament and rarely engaged with the Indian media.
Disciplinary Actions
- As a result of their roles in these contentious incidents, Suryakumar Yadav and Haris Rauf were each fined 30 percent of their match fees, while Farhan received an official warning.