Dubai: India and Pakistan’s players abstained from shaking hands once more as India clinched a decisive win against Pakistan by six wickets during their second encounter at the Asia Cup in Dubai.
According to BBC, there were no handshakes following India’s victory over Pakistan the previous Sunday. This match marked the first meeting between the two teams since the military conflict earlier this year, leading to a complaint by Pakistan to the organizers and raising questions about their participation in the tournament. Despite both teams advancing to the Super Four stage, the captains avoided acknowledging each other at the toss, and players refrained from exchanging handshakes after India’s successful chase of 172 with seven balls remaining.
The tension was palpable as Abhishek and Shubman Gill exchanged words with multiple Pakistan bowlers during their first-wicket partnership of 105 in 59 balls, setting the foundation for the chase. Gill scored 47, while Abhishek contributed 74 off 39 balls. Tilak Varma sealed the victory, marking India’s seventh consecutive win against Pakistan across formats, with a six, ending the match unbeaten on 30.
Earlier in the game, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan scored 58 from 45 balls and celebrated his half-century with a gesture mimicking firing a gun using his bat. Pakistan reached 91-1 after 10 overs and added 42 runs in the last three, but their momentum stalled due to a stretch of 40 balls without a boundary in the middle overs. India’s seamer Shivam Dube played a crucial role, claiming 2-33.
Notably, unlike their previous meeting, neither India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav nor Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha addressed the broader geopolitical situation during the post-match presentation. Pakistan is set to face Sri Lanka on Tuesday, while India will play against Bangladesh on Wednesday. If they secure positions in the top two of the four-team group, the rivals will face each other again in Sunday’s final.