In a heartfelt gesture following India's dominant victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the win to the Indian armed forces and expressed solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The match, held in Dubai on Sunday, September 14, 2025, saw India secure a 7-wicket victory, marking their second consecutive win in the tournament.
Yadav, who celebrated his 35th birthday on the same day, remained unbeaten with a score of 47, guiding India to chase down the target of 128 runs with ease. At the post-match presentation, Yadav initially downplayed the match as just another game, emphasizing that they prepare the same for all oppositions and praising the team's spinners.
However, he then took the opportunity to address the recent tragic events and express his team's support. "We stand by with the victims of the families of the Pahalgam terror attack and we express our solidarity," Yadav declared. "Also the most important thing for me, we want to dedicate today's win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery". He further added, "Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile".
India's coach, Gautam Gambhir, echoed Yadav's sentiment, expressing solidarity with the families of the victims and thanking the armed forces for their successful Operation Sindoor. He affirmed the team's commitment to making the country proud and happy.
The Indian team's gesture of skipping the customary handshake with the Pakistan players after the match also drew attention. Yadav explained that this decision was a conscious one, aligned with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the government. "We took a call as we came here to only play. We gave a proper reply. We are aligned with BCCI and government," Suryakumar told reporters.
The Asia Cup 2025 marks the first encounter between India and Pakistan on a cricket ground since the Pahalgam attack in April and India’s subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’. Following the match, some Pakistani players and staff waited for the handshake, but the Indian team did not emerge from their dressing room.
With this win, India has almost secured its place in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. Their final group stage match is scheduled against Oman on September 19.
