Asia Cup 2025 Begins: India-Pakistan Distance Grabs Spotlight at Captains’ Photoshoot

The wait is finally over. The Asia Cup 2025 begins today, September 9, at 8:00 PM IST, with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in the opening match at the Dubai International Stadium.

Before the action starts, all eight team captains came together for the traditional photo shoot with the trophy. What caught the eye was the distance between India and Pakistan here, again after avoiding each other during the net sessions as they practised without any interaction.

Here also, a prominent distance was noticed between Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salm Ali Agha. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan was placed between India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman during the photo session.

This was seen as a way to keep distance between the two nations, especially after tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack, the World Championship of Legends protest, and the India-Pakistan boycott calls on social media before the Asia Cup. The picture featured the captains lifting their right arms enclosed as a fist, symbolising confidence to face the challenge.

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As Suryakumar Yadav sported a pair of black aviators and a smile on his face, Salman was strong and stern-faced as Rashid Khan acted as a barrier between the two.

Other captains like Litton Das, Muhammad Waseem, and Charith Asalanka also joined the photo, along with the skippers of Hong Kong and Oman. With the tournament about to pick up pace, the trophy shoot once again showed the gap between the India and Pakistan captains. All eyes are now on their much-awaited clash on September 14.

The Asia Cup will start with group stage matches. The top four teams from the points table will qualify for the Super Four round, and from there, the finalists will be decided. The final will take place on September 28. In the group stage, India will face Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE.

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