Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, lambasted Pakistan following their seven-wicket defeat to India in their Asia Cup 2025 group-stage match at the Dubai International Stadium. Following the game, Gavaskar described Pakistan as a weak squad.
The game started with Pakistan winning the toss and deciding to bat. However, India’s bowlers kept Pakistan on the back foot from the beginning. Kuldeep Yadav concluded with 3/18, while Axar Patel (2/18) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/28) contributed significant breakthroughs. Pakistan’s batsmen failed to rotate strike, going 63 balls without scoring before being relegated to 127/9. Only Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 43) and a late cameo by Shaheen Afridi (33* off 16) provided some fight from that end.
India retaliated with full force. Abhishek Sharma faced Afridi in the first over, and Tilak Varma made a notable contribution. Suryakumar Yadav led the chase with an unbeaten 47, helping India finish with 25 balls to spare. The victory increased India’s head-to-head lead over Pakistan in T20Is to 11-3.
Following the match, Sunil Gavaskar commented on Pakistan’s poor effort.
“This did not look like the Pakistan cricket team to me. It looked more like a Popatwadi team. I have followed the Pakistan cricket team for decades. One of my earliest cricketing memories is running from Churchgate station to the Wankhede Stadium to watch the legendary Hanif Mohammad play. This is not the same team. I don’t think they will be able to challenge other teams too much,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network after the match.
Sunny G: No chill edition 🤭🔥
Agree with his take on Pakistan?
Watch the #DPWorldAsiaCup2025, from Sept 9-28, 7 PM onwards, LIVE on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/oPblRNgJBk
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 15, 2025
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav chose not to engage in the customary handshake
Meanwhile, the fixture was the first meeting between India and Pakistan since the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, which had heightened tensions between the two countries. The political tensions were evident from the very start, with India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav choosing not to engage in the customary handshake at the toss. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in alignment with the Indian government, had decided to refrain from handshakes as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the attack.
After the game, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a formal protest, calling India’s behaviour against sportsmanship. Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, even skipped the post-match presentation ceremony as a mark of dissent.
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