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Watch – Pakistan embarrassed before start of Asia Cup match vs India; DJ plays 'Jalebi Baby' instead of National Anthem
Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, were left embarrassed even before the first ball of the Group A Asia Cup encounter against India was bowled.
Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, were left embarrassed even before the first ball of the Group A Asia Cup encounter against India was bowled. The encounter between the two teams saw rising tensions at the toss as captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha refused to shake hands and avoid eye contact. Soon after, both teams came out for their respective national anthems, and it was then that Agha's Pakistan were left confused as the DJ made a faux pas.
When the time came to play Pakistan's National Anthem, the DJ erred as Tesher and Jason Derulo's ‘Jalebi Baby’ echoed around the Dubai International Stadium. The song was played for roughly six seconds, and it was then that Pakistan's National Anthem was heard.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and opted to bat first. Both India and Pakistan fielded unchanged playing XIs from their previous matches.
At the toss, Agha said, “We are going to bat first. We've been playing good cricket, very excited. Looks like a slow wicket. Just want to bat first and put runs on the board. Same side. Have been here for 20-odd days, and we are used to the conditions.”
Also Read: India vs Pakistan LIVE Score, Asia Cup 2025: IND seek to capitalise on incredible start with ball
On the other hand, Suryakumar was more than happy with the Pakistan skipper's decision, saying he wanted to bowl only.
“We were looking to bowl first, happy with it. We played just one strip away, which was a nice wicket and better to bat on in the night. It's humid, so I'm hoping for some dew. Same team,” said the Indian captain.
Gambhir all charged up
Before the toss, the visuals on the official broadcast showed India head coach Gautam Gambhir all charged up as he gave a fiery pep talk to his team. The atmosphere ahead of the match was all charged up as several fans expressed displeasure with India playing against Pakistan despite the terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this year, which killed 26 tourists.
There were talks of the Asia Cup between the rivals not being sold out and tickets still being up for grabs. However, live visuals showed the Indian fans outnumbering the Pakistan supporters and the atmosphere is quite electric in Dubai.
