Asia Cup: Indian players dedicate win against Pakistan to armed forces

DUBAI: Indian T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill and skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the seven-wicket win against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the armed forces.

Suryakumar top-scored with an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls as India chased down a 128-run target in just 15.5 overs.

In an X post, Shubman Gill 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.”

Public anger over India facing Pakistan in the tournament stemmed from the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, during which 26 tourists were killed on April 22 by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the name of religion. The emotions around the contest are mixed, and there were even calls to boycott the fixture against Pakistan.

In the eighth time in the last nine T20Is between India and Pakistan, the chasing side has ended up winning. The only exception was the T20 World Cup game in New York last year.

Suryakumar, in an Instagram post, wrote, “This win is dedicated to the armed forces of India and the victims of the Pahalgam attack. Jai Hind.”

After Kuldeep Yadav cast a spell with his left-arm wrist spin, captain Suryakumar Yadav played the captain’s knock to add to Pakistan’s misery in the rivalry fixture.

Player of the match Kuldeep Yadav, on Instagram, posted a red heart emoji.

While India roared with a comprehensive win, Pakistan perished, courtesy of their lacklustre performance across all facets of the game.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed the Pakistani bowlers all over the park, with his majestic fours and sixes, wrote in an Instagram post, “Jai Hind.”

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha was nowhere to be found in the post-match presentation after a humiliating defeat against the Men in Blue. (ANI)