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.
Am agreement was reached with PCB under which match referee Andy Pycroft will not be officiating matches involving Pakistan.
Suryakumar (50), ably supported by Jigar Rana (53), anchored the Knights' innings as they posted a competitive 179/7 after being asked to bat first.
Despite the threat of a pull-out over the fiasco involving match-referee Andy Pycroft, it is understood that PCB is trying to work out a respectable solution by which Pycroft doesn't officiate in their matches.
Shaheen Shah Afridi steered clear of giving a direct response to Suryakumar Yadav's view that Indo-Pak games should not be considered a rivalry.
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
Sunday's final can be called the ultimate stress-test day for every cricket fan's heartbeat.
There are three aspects of the decision taken jointly by Agarkar and Gambhir with the blessings of someone very powerful in Indian cricket ecosystem. First, they are on same page that both Rohit and Virat Kohli aren't exactly in their scheme of things for the 2027 World Cup.
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.
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
Every summer, Sudhir Gautam makes a pilgrimage to Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai home, carrying a box of Muzaffarpur litchis from his home town in Bihar, a gesture sweeter than the fruit itself.
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.
It has been reliably learnt that late on Tuesday evening, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent another mail to the ICC reiterating the demand to remove Pycroft from all its games but as of now, it hasn't been obliged by the world body.
'He has got speed, a lot of endurance, he is mentally very tough.'
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.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
Operation Sindoor has not yet been formally called off. What was the crying need to send a team when it was known that there could be a match with Pakistan? asks Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Every team has ability to beat India, it's about what happens on day: B'desh coach Simmons
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
The India vs Bangladesh rivalry has gotten bitter in recent years, thanks to the partisan young fans, many of whom perceive India as an adversary.
Despite "nervousness" creeping into the camp, Rajput is assured that his side will be ready, but it will come down to the manner in which they execute their game.
And Surya is only happy to be among the kiddos, receiving their love while he obliges them with pictures and autographs.
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
'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.'
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
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.
The Asia Cup 2025 had been simmering with tension from the very first India-Pakistan encounter, and by the time the final arrived, the animosity had reached boiling point.
Players from the other teams who could push the Men in Blue to the limit.
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
The India-Pakistan tensions have had no impact on the bonhomie within the UAE cricket team, which is a mix of expatriates from the two countries, insisted skipper Muhammad Waseem.
'Scoring those half-centuries and winning the trophy for India is indeed special.'
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
As the continental tournament kicks off on September 9 in Dubai, India will look to lean on this mix of proven winners and new leaders while keeping uncompromising fitness standards at the heart of their preparations.
When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
Sanju Samson not batting enough at number five and six doesn't mean he can't do the job there, said India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday while expressing confidence in the Kerala dasher's ability ahead of the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
One quiet, heartwarming moment stood out - Suryakumar Yadav sharing his umbrella with veteran broadcaster Harsha Bhogle during the post-match presentation.
'Engaging with Pakistan at this stage sends out a message that undermines the sentiments of the people of India who stand firmly against any compromise on national security.'
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
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