The recently concluded Asia Cup 2025 saw India facing Pakistan on the cricket field for the first time since the heinous Pahalgam terror attack in April this year, which led to India launching Operation Sindoor on terrorist camps across the border.
The Men in Blue outclassed their arch-rivals in all three meetings of the continental tournament, including the title clash in Dubai last Sunday (September 28).
During the Super 4 fixture, Pakistan's players engaged in provocative antics, including Sahibzada Farhan’s gunshot celebration after reaching his half-century and Haris Rauf’s 6-0 and plane-crash gestures.
After the final, the Indian team refused to accept the winners’ trophy and medal from the Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB boss and Pakistan's interior minister.
Moreover, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his men refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three matches.
Following the end of the tournament marred by a series of controversies, Suryakumar recalled Rohit Sharma's wife Ritika Sajdeh’s advice leading up to the event.
"I knew there would be a lot of noise," Surya said while speaking to The Indian Express.
"One can’t ignore WhatsApp because it’s the mode of communication. But before coming here, I deleted all my social media from my phone, be it Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Because if it’s on your phone, people send messages, and it’s a human thing to see it. I remember speaking to Rohit (Sharma) and his wife (Ritika) how he cut the noise before big games. Ritika told me that he shuts all his social media apps on his phone. I also followed it, and it helped in my decision-making," he added.
On personal front, Suryakumar Yadav endured a dismal Asia Cup 2025 campaign, returning with scores of 7*, 47*, 0, 5, 12 and 1 in the six innings he batted. However, the Indian captain maintained that he hasn't lost his form.
"I get a slight start then gaadi band ho jaati hai, (the vehicle stops). It is not that I am not playing shots. I am playing shots too. I have not stopped anything. I can’t say that I have no form. I can only say that I am out of runs. So there is no pressure of captaincy. Now when you see Rohit Bhai, he has batted more openly in his captaincy. It is just that there will be a small hurdle and I will cross it. God has saved everything for the right time," he remarked.
