The relations between the India and Pakistan cricketers have turned frosty in the Asia Cup 2025. Indian players refused handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts as a mark of protest against the Pahalgam attack, while a few Pakistan cricketers stooped to unprecedented lows, resorting to derogatory gestures and personal jibes against Indian stars.
In sharp contrast, the India and Pakistan U-17 footballers at the SAFF Championship in Colombo showed mutual respect for each other. Ahead of the start of play, Indian captain Denny Singh Wangkhem and his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Samad exchanged handshake before posing for the photographs with officials, according to a report in Onmanorama.
India coach Bilbano Fernandes had already mandated his players to stay focused and humble during the clash.”An India-Pakistan game always brings excitement and attention, but we remind the boys to treat it like any other match. The focus should be on playing good football and executing our plan, rather than the occasion itself,” India coach Bibiano Fernandes was quoted as saying by AIFF.
“We’ve told the boys to stay humble and focused. Every game in this tournament is different, and Pakistan will pose a new challenge. The key is to keep improving, stick to our game plan and play with the same hunger we’ve shown so far,” Fernandes added.
India Beat Pakistan 3-2
It was a great outing for India, who edged Pakistan 3-2 in a thriller. Dallalmuon Gangte put India ahead in the 31st minute before a penalty from Muhammad Abdullah levelled the score. Gunleiba WangKheirakpam gave India the lead for the second time, but Hamza Yasir scored an equalizer in the 70th minute. However, Rehan Ahmed scored a winner in the 73rd minute to help India continue the unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile, there was no lack of warmth between players after the game as both sets of players greeted each other, and a few shared a warm hug. Pakistan head coach Syed Nasir even blessed Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam by placing a hand on his head, the report added. India will play Nepal, and Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the semifinal on September 25. India and Pakistan could meet again in the final on September 27.