Cliff Notes – Suryakumar, Agha okay with aggression ‘as long as it stays on the field’
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India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed there are no instructions to reduce aggression ahead of the Asia Cup match against Pakistan, emphasising the importance of playing with intensity.
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Pakistan captain Salman Agha echoed this sentiment, stating that players are free to express their aggression on the field, particularly fast bowlers who thrive on it.
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Both teams are adapting to changes in their line-ups, with India missing retired stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan has moved on from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, making the match unpredictable.
Ind vs Pak: Suryakumar, Agha okay with aggression ‘as long as it stays on the field’
India captain Suryakumar Yadav has said there has been no instruction to tone down aggression or keep emotions in check, even when they play Pakistan in the Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. The question was asked in the context of the prevailing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.
“Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”
Pakistan captain Salman Agha echoed the sentiment, saying there was no need for special instructions to his players either.
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“You don’t need to say anything to any player,” Agha said. “Everyone is different individually. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going.
“From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”
The other aspect of the India-Pakistan clash – their first in T20Is since last year’s World Cup fixture in New York – is that both teams have moved on from their superstars. India are without the retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan have chosen to move on, for now, from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Unlike Pakistan, coming off a steady diet of T20I cricket over the past three months, reigning champions India will be playing their first T20I since the England series in January. Despite looking strong on paper, Suryakumar brushed off suggestions that India were runaway favourites.
Virat Kohli and Babar Azam greet each other AFP/Getty Images
“Kisne bola? (Who said?),” he asked with a laugh.
When told that was the charcha [discussion] on social media, Suryakumar responded: “I haven’t heard of it. But you have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field.
“We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three-four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament.”
In the lead-up to the Asia Cup, Agha led Pakistan to a tri-series win over Afghanistan and UAE just two days ago. Prior to that, they had mixed outings – beating West Indies 2-1 in the USA and losing 1-2 to Bangladesh in Bangladesh. Agha felt the format was far too fickle to have clear favourites.
“In T20, I don’t think anyone is favourite,” he said. “On a particular day, you just have to play good cricket. T20 is a very fast game. In one or two overs, the game can completely change.
“The tri-series was always preparation for the Asia Cup. If we won it, that’s very good, but the focus was always on this tournament. We still have to come here, play good cricket, and win the Asia Cup. That’s all that matters.
“We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play in the Asia Cup for the first time but they are ready for the challenge.”