In Dubai, captain Suryakumar Yadav relies on his spin trio as India prepares for another commanding performance against Pakistan in an anticipated Super 4 match of the Asia Cup this Sunday. The lead-up to Indo-Pak cricket encounters has always been charged, but the current atmosphere is particularly intense following the Indian team’s decision last week not to shake hands with their rivals, which sparked considerable controversy. Reports indicate that India will likely continue this stance on Sunday, as handshakes may again be absent despite Pakistani players and fans viewing the match as a ‘Grudge Match.’ Sundays tend to be more stressful, and captain Suryakumar, who played a crucial role in India’s seven-wicket victory last time, understands this well.
In this tournament, he is expected to excel as the leading batsman, a strategic mastermind, and a representative of his nation—all at once. The teams are as follows: India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.