Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Salman Ali Agha will lead the team for the upcoming UAE tri-series and the subsequent Asia Cup also to be played in the UAE, the International Cricket Council announced on Sunday.
What appeared to be a generous act of friendship was, in truth, a manoeuvre within a much larger strategic game. The United States used the 1962 war not just to aid India but to test how far it could be pulled into the Western fold, points out Dr Kumar.
The result extends a difficult run for the West Indies, who were coming off a clean sweep of defeats across formats against Australia earlier in the week.
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
On Sunday, in the crucible of Dubai, it all comes down to a single question: Who will seize their moment and become a hero for a nation?
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Pakistan survived a wonderful spell from an enraged spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in an intense Super 4 match to stay alive in the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
'I don't want runs from Shaheen, I want bowling from Shaheen.'
The architects of the win were Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who blasted a 105-run opening stand that left Pakistan's bowlers gasping.
'If the Trump administration could gain access to the nuclear weapons, they would be satisfied -- at least they could control them.'
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
There are many Indian fans in Dubai, who, as a mark of protest, have decided to give this match a miss.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
With stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan sidelined, it will be a test of character for the Salman Agha-led Pakistan side.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav closely inspected the pitch of the Dubai International Stadium on the eve of their highly-debated Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
Despite over-utilising his craft, Bumrah chased shadows of his past self and returned with figures of 0/45.
This year's roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D. Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle, the PCB said in a statement.
'I think he is going to carry Yuvraj's legacy forward. He is a phenomenal talent.'
Firing the first salvo ahead of high profile Asia Cup clash against arch-rivals India, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson on Thursday termed left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz as the "best spinner in world cricket".
Players from the other teams who could push the Men in Blue to the limit.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
Chase and Greaves took a particular liking to Pakistan's part-timers of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, with the pair each conceding 33 runs from their spell as the West Indies squared the series at 1-1 ahead of the final match at the same ground on Tuesday.
'We have to forget this game because we have one the day after tomorrow. We're looking forward to delivering a better performance there.'
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of Asia Cup 2025.
If Pakistan execute their game plan and play good cricket, they can beat any team, including India in the Asia Cup, captain Salman Agha said.
'We got to the end of the powerplay and we were in the game and then we got squeezed and that built up a lot of pressure during the middle overs.'
Dhoni and Gambhir have not had the smoothest of relationships as teammates and it will be interesting to see how this pair goes on if Dhoni were to accept the offer to mentor the team at the T20I World Cup.
'If 138 soldiers have been given a gallantry award as 'shaheed' (by Pakistan) for Operation Sindoor, how many would have been the actual casualties. This decides who won.
Pakistan's ODI campaign ended in embarrassment as they collapsed to 92 all out in the series decider against the West Indies
Matthew Sandery, head curator at the Dubai international stadium, was spotted near Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak, but did not ask them to keep away. Incidentally, the BCCI, being the hosts, can even suggest the kind of wicket they would need for the match.
Emotions often get the better of his side when facing arch-rivals India, a flaw former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif believes has cost them crucial matches in recent years.
A dominant India beat Pakistan by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare in the Asia Cup matchg in Dubai on Sunday.
When I asked UAE Skipper Muhammad Waseem why his team did not appeal for a walkover, he said his team had come to play, and that they had decided to wait as per the request from the authorities. Would any Test-playing country have waited and remained sporting enough to sacrifice their opportunity to play in the knock-out stage?
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar Azam has been asked to improve certain aspects of his game.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
'Pakistan's army has got a streak of democracy. It is more democratic than the country.'
The seasoned Kiwi coach came under criticism from several former players such as Rashid Latif, Basit Ali, Mohsin Khan, Moin Khan, and Sikander Bakht when media reported said he had asked Babar to keep wickets in the shortest format.
Until now, one of the ways to get Dubai's Golden Visa from India was to invest in property whose value should be at least AED Two Million (Rs 4.66 crore), or invest a large amount in business in the country.
'Munir is clearly insecure and hence he needs the prop of a field marshal.'
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