Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav mentioned solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack in his post-match speech as the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai on September 14. He also dedicated the win to the Indian armed forces.

Pakistan skipper Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that caught many by surprise. The innings began poorly as Pakistan lost two quick wickets—Saim Ayub for 0 and Mohammad Haris for 3. Fakhar Zaman chipped in with 17 to steady things slightly, while Sahibzada Farhan held one end firm, scoring 40 off 44 balls with three sixes and a four.

The momentum, however, came late in the innings through Shaheen Afridi, who smashed an unbeaten 33 off just 16 deliveries with four towering sixes, taking Pakistan to 127/9 in their 20 overs. For India, Kuldeep Yadav starred with three wickets, while Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah claimed two each.

India’s chase began with Shubman Gill departing early for 10, but Abhishek Sharma provided fireworks with a blistering 31 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. After his dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47 featuring five fours and a six, while Tilak Varma contributed 31 off 31. India sealed victory by 7 wickets in just 15.5 overs.

For Pakistan, Saim Ayub’s 3/35 was the lone highlight with the ball, as India cruised to an easy win.

Kuldeep Yadav won the Player of the Match for India for his three wickets.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said that he wanted to stay till the end and finish the game.

“Great feeling and a perfect return gift to India. Human tendency that keeps running in your mind when you think about it (his earlier line about the win being a return gift). You definitely want to win it, and when you win it, you have it ready. One box that I always wanted to tick—stay there and bat till the end. For the whole team, we think it's just another game. We prepare the same for all the opposition. That's what happened a few months back. The team that won the CT set the tone. I'm always a fan of spinners because they control the game in the middle,” Suryakumar Yadav said in a post-match presentation.

Before saying his goodbyes, Suryakumar Yadav took a moment to express solidarity with the families of the Palgham terror attack victims and dedicated the win to the Indian armed forces.

His statement came as there were calls for the BCCI, the Indian government, and Team India to boycott this match about the Pahalgam attack that was orchestrated by terror groups based in Pakistan.

Suryakumar Yadav said, “Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. 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 make them smile.”

India will next play Oman on September 19, with the match taking place in Abu Dhabi.