Dubai, Sep 14: The high-voltage in the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium got off to a dramatic start both on and off the field.
Star India
all-rounder While Hardik Pandya created history with the ball by dismissing Saim Ayub for a golden duck off the very first legitimate delivery on Sunday (September 14).
Hardik Pandya Creates History
India captain Suryakumar Yadav handed the new ball to Pandya, who made an instant impact despite starting with a wide. On the very next ball, he dismissed Pakistan opener Saim Ayub, caught by Jasprit Bumrah at point. Ayub departed without scoring, his second consecutive golden duck in as many matches.
With this dismissal, Pandya became only the second Indian bowler to take a wicket off the first legitimate ball of a T20I innings. The first to achieve the feat was Arshdeep Singh against the USA during the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York, where he dismissed Shayan Jahangir.
Notably, Hardik is playing as a second pacer in the playing eleven along with fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. While left-arm pacer Arshdeep - who is the leading wickettaker for India in the T20Is, 99 - continues to warm up the bench.
Pandya continued to haunt Pakistan in the opening exchanges, completing a sharp catch at deep square to dismiss Mohammad Haris in Bumrah's first over. Haris, who had scored a half-century in Pakistan's last outing, fell cheaply this time. Bumrah almost had a second when he trapped Fakhar Zaman LBW, but the decision was overturned on review.
Handshake Snub at the Toss
Tensions between the two camps were visible right from the toss. Both captains-Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha-avoided the customary handshake, refusing to even make eye contact. The moment drew widespread attention as handshakes are usually part of the pre-match formalities.
BCCI sources later clarified that "every tournament has its own protocol," noting that Yadav had also skipped a handshake during the toss against UAE captain Muhammad Waseem in India's previous game.
Anthem Mix-Up Before Kick-Off
Just before play began, another unexpected incident amused the crowd. As both teams lined up for their national anthems, the DJ mistakenly played a pop song instead of Pakistan's anthem. The mix-up lasted only a few seconds before being corrected, but not before social media erupted with memes and jokes, with many users humorously suggesting that the song was "Jalebi Baby. "
Unchanged Playing XIs
Both teams went into the contest with unchanged lineups:
India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan XI: Salman Agha (C), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan.
