Asia Cup 2025: Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav Exchange Greetings

DUBAI: Following the conclusion of the Asia Cup 2025 captains’ summit on Tuesday, Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, and India’s skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, were seen briefly interacting and shaking hands.

A widely shared video on social media captured Salman greeting various captains, including Suryakumar of India, near the stage area.

The Indian team’s captain also exchanged cordial greetings with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head Mohsin Naqvi, who concurrently holds the position of chairman at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

During the pre-event press briefing, both Salman and Suryakumar communicated clearly that they would not be directing their respective teams to reduce their intensity when the two rival nations face each other in their highly anticipated match.

While players from both countries typically maintain friendly relations off the field, regardless of existing political tensions, the captains faced inquiries on whether they would advise their squads to manage their emotions during the significant encounter.

“Aggression is invariably present when we compete,” Suryakumar stated. “I believe a certain level of intensity is essential in this sport. I am enthusiastic about playing.”

Pakistan’s captain, Salman, shared similar thoughts, mentioning there was no reason to prevent players from expressing themselves freely.

“There’s no requirement to instruct any player, given each individual’s uniqueness,” Salman clarified.

“If a player wishes to be assertive on the field, they are welcome to do so. Specifically, fast bowlers often display aggression, and restraining them is counterproductive, as it fuels their performance. Personally, I won’t impose any restrictions, provided conduct remains within the sport’s principles.”

The Asia Cup 2025 officially commenced on Tuesday, featuring the opening match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.

The much-awaited match between India and Pakistan is slated for September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.