The Albany Gazette - No handshake again as India bowl against Pakistan in Asia Cup final

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No handshake again as India bowl against Pakistan in Asia Cup final

SPORTS 28.09.2025

No handshake again as India bowl against Pakistan in Asia Cup final / Photo: Fadel SENNA - AFP

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first against Pakistan as the two teams stuck to no handshakes and cold vibes in the Asia Cup final on Sunday.

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The two neighbours come into the title clash with tensions high from their previous two clashes in the competition, which witnessed political posturing and aggressive on-field behaviour at the same venue in Dubai.

Defending champions India and Pakistan are playing a final in the Asia Cup for the first time in the tournament's 41-year-old history.

India, who remain unbeaten in six matches of the Asia Cup, made three changes to the team from their previous win with all-rounder Hardik Pandya to sit out with injury.

Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh make the team in place of Pandya, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha said he would have batted first anyway had he won the toss as his team come in unchanged from their previous win over Bangladesh.

India and Pakistan met in the regional contest played under the T20 format after deadly fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have not played a bilateral series in over a decade.

The two only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise deal.

India comfortably won both their games in the tournament, but in the Super Four clash Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan mimicked a gun celebration after his half-century.

Pakistan pace bowler pacer Haris Rauf made gestures appearing to mock India's military action during the four-day border conflict in May that left more than 70 people dead.

In the group match, Suryakumar had refused to shake hands with Pakistan's Agha and the two teams kept up the stance in the previous match.

India won the previous edition played in the 50-over format.

The Asia Cup is being widely seen as a dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February-March.

Teams

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Umpires: Ahmad Shah Pakteen (AFG), Masudur Rahman (BAN)

TV Umpire: Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)

Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)

(A.Moore--TAG)