September 20, 2025

The battle lines are drawn again! India’s cricket captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has some strong advice for his squad ahead of the highly-awaited Asia Cup showdown with bitter rivals Pakistan. On Saturday, in the midst of swirling controversy about their last electrifying clash, Yadav told his team to simply "close your room, switch off your phone and sleep." Why? Because the cricket fever between India and Pakistan is more than just a game — it’s a storm of noise and emotions. The teams first met in this eight-nation tournament right after the tense conflict between the neighbours in May, and India snagged a thrilling seven-wicket victory. But things got spicy when the Indian players refused to shake hands with Pakistan after the match. Captain Suryakumar dedicated the win "to their armed forces," and many Indian players took to social media with similar tributes. Pakistan, feeling the heat, briefly thought of quitting the tournament to protest against the match referee’s handling of the situation, accusing him of allowing unsportsmanlike conduct by India. However, they later decided to continue and played their next match against the United Arab Emirates. With emotions still riding high, Suryakumar kept a cool head. He told reporters, "I have been very clear with all the boys. I think it's very important if you want to do well in this tournament and going forward. We will have to shut a lot of noise from outside and take what is good for you." Looking ahead to Sunday’s super four clash, the Indian skipper warned there’s no room for overconfidence. "It doesn't give us an edge that we have played them once and we had a good game. We have to start from scratch," he said. India has had three strong games so far, and Suryakumar said they are focused on "following all the good habits we have been doing from the last two or three games. We take it one game at a time." So, can India keep their cool and conquer the chaos for another win against Pakistan? The cricket world is watching, and the drama is just getting hotter in this Asia Cup saga!

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Tags: India vs pakistan, Asia cup 2023, Suryakumar yadav, Cricket rivalry, Sports controversy, Cricket preparation,