New Delhi: India and Pakistan are set to face each other once again in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four on Sunday, just a week after their group-stage encounter.
Following a convincing seven-wicket victory over Pakistan, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates avoided shaking hands with Salman Ali Agha’s side.
This decision was taken following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
Suryakumar Yadav witty take on India-Pakistan rivalry
The 35-year-old was questioned before the game about whether defeating Pakistan now is as fulfilling as it was in the past.
After the match against Oman, Suryakumar stated, “I don’t know about before, since I didn’t play back then. We talk about rivalry, I don’t know what rivalry you are talking about. After going on the ground, I feel that the stadium is full. Aur jab stadium bhara hoa hai, main apne team ko bolta hu ki chalo bhailog, abhi entertainment ka time aa gaya hai. (And when the stadium is full, I tell my team and everyone that it’s time for entertainment.”
Suryakumar faced questions regarding the handshake snub
Suryakumar Yadav also mentioned that whenever he steps onto the field, he tells his team that it’s time for some entertainment.
“So many people have come to watch the match, so you have to entertain everyone. Let’s play some good brand of cricket. And according to me, we don’t think much,” he added.
He faced questions once more regarding the handshake snub, but the 35-year-old managed the situation adeptly, providing appropriate responses.
When a Journalist asked, “In the last match against Pakistan, apart from the bat, India did well in the remaining aspects as well. In the next match, can we expect India to do the same as in the previous game,” referring to the Men in Blue’s handshake snub, the skipper had a witty response as he said:
“Oh, you mean good performance with the ball? Yes, definitely. There’s a good combination of performance with both bat and ball. It feels so good when a stadium is jam-packed and you get support from such a big crowd. We just want to put our best foot forward for the country and do our best in the game.”
Story Highlight
- India and Pakistan are set to face each other once again in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four on Sunday, just a week after their group-stage encounter. F
- The 35-year-old was questioned before the game about whether defeating Pakistan now is as fulfilling as it was in the past.
- Suryakumar Yadav also mentioned that whenever he steps onto the field to play against Pakistan, he tells his team that it’s time for some entertainment.
- He faced questions once more regarding the handshake snub, but the 35-year-old managed the situation adeptly, providing appropriate responses.