No handshakes again in heated India-Pakistan T20

Dubai, Super Four, and the Asia Cup

Pakistan 171-5 (20 overs): Farhan 58 (45), Dube 2-33

India 174-4 (18.5 overs): Abhishek 74 (39), Gill 47 (28), Rauf 2-26

By six wickets, India won.

As India comfortably won the sides’ feisty second match of the Asia Cup by six wickets in Dubai, the Pakistani players did not exchange words again.

India and Pakistan met last Sunday in their first competitive encounter since the military conflict earlier this year, which gave rise to a complaint from Pakistan to the organizers and questions about their continued participation in the competition.

After India cruised to a chase of 172 balls with seven balls to spare, the captains did not acknowledge each other at the toss and neither did the two teams shake hands.

During the chase, there were a number of heated moments, most notably when the umpire had to step between Haris Rauf and Abhishek Sharma, the opener.

Afterward, Abhishek remarked, “The way they were coming to us without any reason, I didn’t like at all.”

“I only wanted to give my team a good result.”

During their 105-ball first-wicket partnership for the first wicket, which broke the back of the chase, Abhishek and Shubman Gill exchanged words with various Pakistani bowlers.

Gill scored 47 and Abhishek 74 from 39 before Tilak Varma sealed the victory with a six to finish 30 not out. India’s seventh win in a row against Pakistan across formats.

Sahibzada Farhan, the opener for Pakistan, hit 58 from 45 balls before celebrating with his fifty by retaliating with a gunshot.

Following a deadly militant attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir in April, India and Pakistan engaged in a four-day military conflict.

Pakistan won their final three games by taking 42 runs from the final three, but they were punished for losing their way between them after dropping five games.

India seamer Shivam Dube was particularly successful in taking 2-33. There were 40 balls on the run without a boundary during the middle overs.

No one at the post-match presentation made any reference to the larger situation in contrast to last week’s meeting, when captain Suryakumar Yadav praised India’s armed forces.

On Tuesday, Pakistan plays Sri Lanka, while Wednesday, India plays Bangladesh.