An embarrassing moment occurred as ‘Jalebi Baby’ played instead of Pakistan’s anthem. Pakistan set 128 for India after a batting collapse, rescued by Shaheen Afridi’s late surge, but the match went ahead amid high tension.
An embarrassing moment for Pakistan unfolded during the national anthem ahead of the blockbuster Asia Cup 2025 clash against Team India at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 14. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha won the toss and decided to bat first against Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue in the high-stakes clash of the ongoing continental tournament.
The face-off between two arch-rivals is taking place under the heavy scrutiny following the backlash and criticism from the Indian public over BCCI’s decision to play Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of the heinous Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, killing 26 Indian nationals in Baisaran Meadows, 7 kilometres away from the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite the backlash and outrage, the BCCI still decided to go ahead and play Pakistan, honouring the commitment to the multinational tournament obligations.
DJ plays the wrong Pakistan national anthem
After Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat first, India and Pakistan players assembled near the center of the pitch, around the middle of the playing field, for the national anthem. Since the Men in Green won the toss, Pakistan’s national anthem was played first.
Pakistan players put their arms on each other’s shoulders as they were ready for the ceremonial anthem. However, the Disco Jockey (DJ) mistakenly played the ‘Jalebi Baby’ song instead of Pakistan’s national anthem at the Dubai International Stadium. However, he was quick to o stop the music, immediately replacing it with the correct Pakistan national anthem, allowing the ceremony to proceed properly.
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India and Pakistan’s clash has grabbed the attention of the cricketing world as it is the first face-off between the two sides since the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor, which was successfully carried out by the Indian Defence Forces, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Dubai Police issued a strict advisory for fans attending the high-stakes India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai amid boycott calls and political tensions. Fans were asked to arrive early, three hours before the scheduled time of the match, follow the rules, and avoid banned items. Any violations risk fines between 5000 and 30000 Drihams or jail up to 1 to 3 months.
Team India to chase 128 against Pakistan
Meanwhile, skipper Salman Ali Agha’s decision to bat first has somehow backfired as Pakistan managed only 127 runs, leaving Team India a modest target of 128 to chase. The two-time Asia Cup champions collapsed to 49/4 in 10 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya providing early breakthroughs by taking a wicket, and Axar Patel picking up a couple of crucial wickets to keep Pakistan under pressure.
Pakistan’s batting collapse did not stop there as they were further reduced to 97/8 in 17.4 overs by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. However, Shaheen Afridi, who walked out to bat when Pakistan were 83/7, unleashed his firepower as he smashed 33 off 16 balls, including 4 sixes, helping Men in Green reach a total of 127 runs, giving India a modest target of 128.
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Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling attack as he registered figures of 3/18 in four overs, while Axar Patel (2/18) and Jasprit Bumrah picked two wickets each. Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy scalped a wicket each.