Kuldeep Yadav's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
Will Shubman Gill force either Sanju Samson or Tilak Varma out of the playing XI for the Asia Cup opening match against the UAE?
Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a "formal protest" against match referee Andy Pycroft alleging that he asked both captains not to shake hands during the toss.
Pakistan has pulled out of the Junior Hockey World Cup to be held in India in November-December.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
Abhishek notched his third successive fifty in the tournament with a fluent knock which came at a staggering strike rate of 196.77, containing eight fours and two sixes.
'I can't come in and say, "I only can do the hero role." I need to be a villain. I need to be a joker. I need to play around".'
Kuldeep Yadav has a good record in T20 Internationals with 69 wickets in 40 matches at an economy rate of 6.77, with a best of 5/17 against South Africa.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
Meanwhile, Pakistan team management has decided not to interact with media ahead of the Super4 contest.
"The boys work hard day in, day out, and I am really happy they showed their quality to level the series."
I didn't like the way Pakistan players coming at us for no reason: Abhishek on aggressive batting
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday defended its media manager filming a meeting between match referee Andy Pycroft and team officials ahead of their Asia Cup game against the UAE, maintaining that the action was within ICC protocols.
Suryakumar Yadav bore the blunt, as he was struck on the helmet by the slower bouncer from the 29-year-old Gujarat Titans fast bowler.
Ajit Agarkar's contract as the chief selector was renewed before IPL 2025 taking into account Team India's successful showing during his tenure.
Suryakumar Yadav, the newly-appointed T20I captain, asserted that India will continue to play the aggressive brand of cricket which hallmarked the regime of his predecessor Rohit Sharma.
'Don't make it political, let cricket be a game.'
In a post on X, Naqvi rejected reports claiming that he, at the ACC AGM on Tuesday, apologised to BCCI officials for his actions at the presentation ceremony on Sunday when he walked away with the trophy after the Indians refused to accept it from him.
'It's really important to be very good friends off the field. When you open together, that bond matters. Sometimes you don't have to say anything in the middle.'
However, Wassan also believed that Suryakumar made a political statement mentioning Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam during the post-match presentation and press conference following the group stage clash between the two teams, which could have been avoided.
Despite over-utilising his craft, Bumrah chased shadows of his past self and returned with figures of 0/45.
No BCCI representatives travelled to Dubai. As reported by Dainik Jagran, the board was mindful of public sentiment and growing calls for a boycott, choosing to skip those matches out of respect for the prevailing national mood.
Salman Ali Agha feels that Indian team's 'No Handshake' policy while playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup was "disrespectful" to the game.
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?
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, will be in attendance when his country takes on India in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday and it would be interesting to see how the Indian team responds to his presence at the post-match trophy ceremony.
Despite cancelling the press conference, Pakistan will go ahead with the scheduled training session, ANI reported, quoted ESPNcricinfo.
Focus firmly on match, India-Pakistan clash will be interesting: Kotak
Kuldeep Yadav grabbed 3/18, while Axar Patel played a vital role getting 2/18 besides bowling 15 dot balls in the game to power India to an emphatic seven-wicket victory.
'You told me to give revs on the ball. I decided to give the ball some spin and get some bounce. Because of that, I got three wickets, you got two.'
Gill's recall would mark his first T20I appearance since the Sri Lanka series in July 2024, right after the T20 World Cup, where he didn't feature.
There is no stopping Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format of the game in 2022
An irate Mohsin Naqvi ordered Usman Walha's removal 'for the embarrassment caused to the national cricket team and its captain.'
Flamboyant Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who notched up another fifty in the Asia Cup on Wednesday against Bangladesh, credited his fearless batting to sheer hard work and hours of practice in the nets.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel expects the batting unit to lift its performance under pressure in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan
'There has been no gentlemanness in the game. There have been very rude, arrogant gestures on the field.'
Almost all the Indian batters ended their batting sessions with lofted shots. Every few minutes, screams of 'Watch out!' filled the air -- not from the players, but from scribes trying to protect their laptops, cameras, and skulls.
'He is a permanent fixture when it comes to the Indian team. He has been match referee 90 times in India's matches.'
Ravichandran Ashwin has raised a big question mark over Sanju Samson's place in India's Asia Cup 2025 playing XI, warning that the wicketkeeper-batter's spot could be under serious threat
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
Suryakumar Yadav delivered yet another masterclass with the bat, guiding Mumbai Indians to a dominant 7-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad - and this one was special.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances