Abu Dhabi: Both captains – India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha – made it clear during the captains’ press conference that aggression will be a defining feature when their teams take the field as the anticipation is building for the India-Pakistan showdown at the Asia Cup 2025 on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India begin their campaign against the UAE on September 10, while Pakistan will line up against their archrivals four days later in Dubai.
Speaking on the eve of the tournament, Suryakumar Yadav responded to questions about player temperament by underlining his philosophy, “Temper? Sir, aggression is always there on the field when we take the field. Without aggression, I do not believe one can play this sport. And I am sure, I am very excited to take the field on the front foot.”
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha echoed similar views, stressing that players should express themselves freely:
“Well, you do not need to say anything to any player. Everyone is individually very different. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive.”
On being asked about potential changes in India’s approach, the Indian skipper dismissed any need for tweaks, “Why are you needling me? When you play a format, you need to know how good your preparation is. Why mend something that is not broken? If something has given us results, why would we need to change that aspect separately?”
When pressed about the wicketkeeper choice between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma for the UAE fixture, Suryakumar offered a trademark lighthearted reply, “I will message you the whole team, sir. We are taking good care of him. Do not worry, we will take the right decision tomorrow.”
On India being tagged as title favourites, he was equally pragmatic:
“Who said that? (favourites) I have not heard it. You have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field. We are playing Twenty20 as a team after a long time.”
For Ali Agha, the tournament offers his side an opportunity to showcase a new identity. Without senior players such as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the captain expressed confidence in his squad, “We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and, at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play Asia Cup for the first time, but they are ready for the challenge.”
Away from the India-Pakistan focus, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan pointed out the logistical challenge of travel and scheduling:
“To play a game in Abu Dhabi and to stay here in Dubai. You have all three games in Abu Dhabi, but your stay is in Dubai. But as a professional cricketer, you have to accept all these things. You have to be well-prepared, and you have to be mentally strong.”
Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka, meanwhile, provided relief with a candid admission of fatigue following his team’s travel from Zimbabwe. “Right now, I feel very sleepy. I should answer it (the question) tomorrow, I think. It is really hard. We played back to back games in Zimbabwe and then travelled here straightaway. We need to have a couple of days off; I hope the coach will give us.”
Sri Lanka will play their opening game on September 13 against Bangladesh, while Afghanistan face Hong Kong in the tournament opener on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.
(IANS)
