A storm of controversy has been brewing since the initial Group A match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup last Sunday (September 14, 2025) – specifically, over the absence of a customary handshake.
As the controversy continues to simmer, these two fierce rivals are set to face off once more at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium this Sunday (September 21, 2025).
The stakes are considerably higher this time. A victory in this Super Four opener would significantly boost either team’s chances of reaching the final on September 28.
Following the initial match, the drama intensified with India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan’s players. This led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to controversially demand the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the tournament.
PCB president Mohsin Naqvi claimed that Pycroft had forbidden both captains from shaking hands during the toss. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has firmly dismissed this accusation.
Amidst all this off-field commotion, it’s easy to forget how convincingly India dominated Pakistan in their first encounter. For the true battle of bat and ball to regain its prominence, Salman Agha’s squad will need to display significantly greater skill and tactical prowess than they did last week.
Lately, this intense rivalry has often been more about historical grievances and public emotion than truly captivating on-field clashes. Following India’s recent seven-wicket demolition of Pakistan, their dominance in the shortest format has become even more pronounced. Out of 14 encounters, including one tied match, the ‘Men in Blue’ have secured 10 victories, while Pakistan has managed only three.
If Pakistan hopes to turn the tide, they must devise a strategy to neutralize India’s potent spin attack. In their previous match at this venue, Pakistan struggled on two fronts: they not only lost six wickets to the trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy but also batted with excessive caution, failing to put any pressure on the Indian spinners. This resulted in a dismal total of 127 for nine, which the eight-time champions chased down comfortably with 25 balls remaining.
Although Suryakumar experimented with two specialist pacers against Oman on Friday – a relatively minor game where Varun was rested – India is expected to return to its winning combination of three spinners for this crucial encounter. Jasprit Bumrah, also rested for the Oman match, will be back to lead the bowling attack. On the batting front, Sanju Samson’s recent half-century against Oman, despite not being his most fluid innings, is a positive sign.
Pakistan, conversely, faces significant challenges. Chief among them is the dismal performance of opener Saim Ayub. The 23-year-old left-hander has yet to get off the mark in this tournament, having registered three consecutive ducks in the preliminary stage. Were it not for his useful off-break bowling, his place in the team would be in serious doubt. The form of captain Salman also remains a concern.
The ‘Green Shirts’ must prioritize addressing these fundamental issues on the field, rather than getting caught up in the optics of post-match handshakes.
The teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana and Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Agha (Capt.), Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Match starts at 8 p.m. IST.