Asia Cup 2025 curtain raiser began with the captains' photoshoot, as all eight skippers posed together before heading to the joint press conference.. During the event, each captain was seen shaking hands with Asia Cricket Council Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as PCB’s chairman.
One particular moment, the handshake between Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Naqvi quickly went viral on social media.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Handshake with Mohsin Naqvi Amid Controversial Pahalgam Remarks
The tournament officially kicked off with Afghanistan vs Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the match, drama unfolded online as old remarks by Mohsin Naqvi resurfaced especially his controversial take on the Pahalgam terror attack, which he called “a drama.”
"Pakistan's economic stability is intolerable for India. The world needs to see how the country that claims to be the largest democracy is using terrorism to serve its own interests," Naqvi said, as quoted by The Express Tribune.
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In a separate press conference in Lahore, Naqvi also told Geo News:
"Pakistan is ready to fully cooperate with any neutral investigation to expose the real culprits behind the attack."
Following the meet-and-greet, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha took part in the pre-match press conference and fielded questions ahead of Match 1.
“We haven’t played a match together since June, but that’s the challenge,” said Pakistan skipper Agha. “We’ve been training here for the last four days and feel confident about adapting quickly.”
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: 'Kuldeep Yadav is at his peak now' - Ravi Shastri backs the wrist-spinner's inclusion
Suryakumar Yadav, Salman Agha Preview Asia Cup Opener; Pakistan Skipper Stays Cool on India Clash
The most anticipated clash of the tournament — India vs Pakistan — will take place on September 13. Depending on how the group stage and knockouts play out, the arch-rivals could meet twice more.
When asked specifically about the upcoming India game, Agha kept his response level-headed:
“Aggression comes naturally to fast bowlers. I won’t be giving any special instructions. These conditions aren’t new to us, and we’re focused on giving our best.”
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The 2025 Asia Cup, features eight teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: India will miss Rohit's T20 World Cup-winning strategy - Mohammad Kaif
