Suryakumar Yadav skips captains' photoshoot before IND vs PAK Asia Cup final; Salman Ali Agha poses alone with trophy

India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in a thrilling Asia Cup final showdown, but off-field drama has also grabbed headlines. India captain Suryakumar Yadav skipped the traditional pre-final captains’ photoshoot, leaving Pakistan skipper Salman Agha to pose alone with the trophy. This incident has added spice to the already intense Indo-Pak cricket rivalry, as both teams prepare for a high-octane clash at the Dubai International Stadium.

The photoshoot snub has reignited discussions about sportsmanship, echoing earlier tensions when India declined post-match handshakes during the group stage. With India dominating recent encounters against Pakistan, this latest move has fueled anticipation for a fiery final.

Photoshoot controversy

The pre-final photoshoot, a symbol of sportsmanship, was cancelled after Suryakumar Yadav opted out. Pakistan’s Salman Agha took the spotlight alone, standing confidently beside the Asia Cup trophy with a determined smile. The incident follows India’s earlier decision to skip handshakes, a move aligned with BCCI and government directives.

Suryakumar had previously stated, “Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit also.” The boycott has sparked mixed reactions, with some fans praising India’s stance and others calling it unsportsmanlike.

Salman Ali Agha during pre-match press conference on the handshake controversy

Salman expressed disappointment over the absence of post-match handshakes during this tournament, a tradition he views as integral to cricket’s spirit.

“I started playing cricket in 2007, at the Under-16 level. I have never seen that there hasn’t been a handshake between two teams. My Abbu [father] is a big cricket fan, and he went back 20 more years and said it’s never happened that the two teams haven’t shaken hands. Even I can’t think of a time when it hasn’t happened,” he said.

India vs Pakistan final

India heads into the final as favourites, having defeated Pakistan twice in the tournament, in the group stage and Super Fours.

Pakistan, however, have won all their games of the tournaments, except the ones against India.

India vs Pakistan predicted lineups

India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya/Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Pakistan Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.