Dubai: The roar of cricket blended with the memory of tragedy. India’s emphatic win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup was not just a result on the scoreboard. It was framed as a tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and to the Indian armed forces who carried out Operation Sindoor in its aftermath.
The attack on April 22 had left 26 tourists dead. The strike had been carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Emotions were raw. The Asia Cup match against Pakistan carried a heavy burden of anger and grief. There had been calls for a boycott.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the win to the armed forces. “Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. 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,” he said after finishing unbeaten on 47.
Later, he posted on Instagram, “This win is dedicated to the armed forces of India and the victims of the Pahalgam attack. Jai Hind.”
Vice-captain Shubman Gill echoed the sentiment. On X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Today’s win is dedicated to the victims of Pahalgam and to our brave armed forces who continue to safeguard us. The spirit of India lives on both on and off the field. Jai Hind.”
Opener Abhishek Sharma added his own voice: “Jai Hind.” Kuldeep Yadav, who spun through Pakistan’s middle order, shared a red heart emoji.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir placed the occasion in context. He said, “Good win. There is still a lot of cricket left in this tournament. This match was important as we wanted to show solidarity with the victims and families and what they went through during that Pahalgam attack. More importantly, we want to thank Indian army for their successful Operation Sindoor. We will try to make our country proud and happy.”
The anger of the past months had also been addressed inside the dressing room. Suryakumar explained, “We had shut down 70 to 80 per cent outside noise. Our players and support staff had talked about cutting down as much outside noise as possible. So that we could execute our plans well. I do not know what is happening outside and players keep me away from it, and other players and support staff try to stay away from that. Only then you can plan and execute with a clear mind and crowd supports us well.”
On the field, India dominated. Pakistan batted first and could only manage 127 for 9. Sahibzada Farhan top-scored with 40. Fakhar Zaman made 17. Shaheen Afridi hit 33 not out off 16 balls in the end.
Kuldeep Yadav took 3 for 18. Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets each. Hardik Pandya took one.
India’s chase was swift. Abhishek Sharma cracked 31 off 13 balls. Suryakumar Yadav anchored with 47 not out from 37. Tilak Varma made 31. Shivam Dube chipped in with 10 not out. The target was chased in 15.5 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav was named Player of the Match. He said, “Simple. Just execute the plans. Just see who is batting and react accordingly. I had my plans and executed them. First ball is always wicket-taking ball, just have to go with that mindset and execute that wicket-taking ball. Batter may be set, but he’s facing me for the first time. Still feel I really need to work on my bowling. Sometimes I feel I use too many variations.”
The post-match also saw one striking gesture. No handshakes. On this, Suryakumar was direct. “Our government and the BCCI were aligned. When we came here, we took a call. We were here to just play the game. We gave them a proper reply.”
This was the eighth time in nine recent T20 meetings between the two sides that the chasing team had won. The lone exception was in New York last year. Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha did not appear for the presentation.
India now leads Group A with two wins out of two. But for the players, the real meaning of the night lay far beyond the points table.