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When camaraderie, bonding were the key ingredients in India’s Thomas Cup triumph

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India’s maiden Thomas Cup title on Sunday came on the back of some solid camaraderie shown by the players on and off the court. However, HS Prannoy has revealed that ‘bonding’ is something which is not common in a sport like badminton, where shuttlers play individually in tournaments.

The 29-year-old said following India’s gold medal-winning performance against the most successful team in the tournament’s history — Indonesia — that the players made a “conscious effort” to gel and ensure there were slip-ups this time around.

Not getting overawed by Indonesia’s reputatioin — they have 14 titles to their name in the tournament — India defeated the favourites 3-0 on Sunday after previously reaching the Thomas Cup semis in 1952, 1955, and 1979.

Prannoy, whose selection in the side for the tournament had raised questions, said, “The way everyone bonded this week, I think I should give credit to all the players out there and I think we made a conscious effort to do this because we knew this is not something which is very common amongst us… because we play individual events the entire year.

“And, to come to a team event and all of a sudden to gel is slightly tough. But I think we all made this conscious effort,” said Prannoy, who had won the decisive singles game against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in the semifinal to earn India its maiden entry in the final.

He said that from the day the team left Hyderabad for the tournament in Bangkok, the focus and discussion centred around team bonding, which he felt is the essence of a team sport.

“The day we left Hyderabad, we had a team discussion saying that this is the time where we can win this… we have a team which can actually challenge for the title. But the only thing, which we will have to consciously do is to help and support each other because that’s what is going to change the results in the entire tournament,” opined Prannoy, who played the semifinal with an ankle injury and still managed to guide the team into the final.

Badminton stalwart, Kidambi Srikanth, termed it as one of the biggest achievements in his personal career.

“Individual events are always different from team events and we hardly get to play any team events. Thomas and Uber Cups are one of the biggest team events that we have. So, when you actually end up winning such a big tournament, it really is a very big win. It will actually take a while before you actually know what has happened.

“I would rate this as one of my biggest wins, that’s for sure. Everyone did extremely well. I don’t think there is any one individual to be singled out. Everyone in the team has done extremely well. Having said that, it was one of my best performances also,” said Srikant, who clinched the deciding singles in the final beating world No. 9 Jonatan Christie comfortably to guide India to the historic win.

He said that despite being the oldest member of the contingent in a team comprising of youngsters, he didn’t have to give any motivational speeches.

“Well, I might have played more number of events than anyone else, but I didn’t have to give any big, long-long speeches. It was just about letting them know that they are doing well and it is just that you get just one hour to play… and you really get that one hour to do well every day. I am very happy that all the youngsters really stepped up and played really well when it mattered. Frankly, I didn’t have to tell them anything,” said the 29-year-old Srikanth.

“They were really pumped up, very excited… when we came here we said whatever it takes to win this medal we will do. And, these youngsters handled the pressure well.”

National News

‘Agar Hai Tumhari Aukat…’: AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj Slams Surya kumar Yadav, BCCI Over Pakistan Game In Asia Cup 2025

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Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj slammed Suryakumar Yadav, BCCI for playing match against Pakistan In Asia Cup 2025. He even challenged them to donate the money earned from the India-Pakistan match to the widows of the martyrs in Pahalgam attack.

Speaking at a press conference, he said, ” Suryakumar Yadav agar tumhari aukat hai, tumhari BCCI ki aukat hai aur tumhari ICC ki aukat hai toh tumhe dusri chunati bhi dete hai. Jitna paisa tumne iss broadcast rights se kamaya hai, advertisers se kamaya hai aur iss pure dhande cricket se kamaya hai dedo uss shahido ki vidhwao ko uss 26 aurto ko. Hum bhi maan jayenge tumne dedicate kiya hai.”

(If you have guts, if your BCCI and ICC have guts, whatever money you earned from broadcasters and advertisers, give it to the widows of the martyrs)

Suryakumar Yadav during the post match interview that his team stands in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims and dedicatd the win to the Pahalgam victims and armed forces. He said, Perfect occasion, taking the time out we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” 

There was a lot of chatter surrounding the India-Pakistan match, with social media being flooded with messages to boycott the match. The terror attack in Pahalgam in April saw 26 tourists lose their lives. In May, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor.

A day before the match, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also stated that his players are aware of the sentiments of the people back home and know their emotions. The beginning of the contest between India and Pakistan on Sunday saw no handshakes between Suryakumar

India registered a comfortable 7 wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday. However, the Men in Blue have now qualified for super 4 stage after Oman were eliminated by United Arab Emirates. Pakistan needs to beat UAE to have chance to play India once again.

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National News

IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025: How Team India & Pakistan Can Again Meet On September 21? Scenario Explained

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The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on September 14, Sunday was a one-sided fixture as the Men in Blue sealed a comfortable seven-wicket victory. However, fans have the prospect of watching the two teams lock horns again on September 21 if Pakistan qualify for the Super 4.

Pakistan face a boom or bust defeat after a humiliating defeat to the Men in Blue on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. While the Men in Green still boasts of a positive net run-rate, they must beat UAE in their final group game on Wednesday. Should Pakistan qualify from Group A, they will play India on September 21 in Dubai.

If Pakistan lose their match to UAE and UAE beat Oman, UAE will have four points under their belt, enabling them to progress.

UAE are currently at the bottom of the points table in Group A with a net run-rate of -10.483But two wins will take the net run-rate out of equation. UAE can still qualify if they beat Pakistan and their game against Oman is washed out due to rain as their points tally will be higher. For Oman to qualify, they must beat an in-form Indian side and UAE. Additionally, they must also hope for Pakistan to face a loss or no result against UAE.

Meanwhile, tensions boiled over after the match as the Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterpart following the win. As a result, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not do the post-game presentation duties.

Hence, fans can expect heightened tensions should the two teams meet again in the multi-nation tournament.

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National News

Ind v Pak, Asia Cup: When and where to watch Sunday’s mega encounter

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New Delhi, Sep 13: India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry when they clash in a Group A fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday. Both teams come into the high-voltage encounter after comfortable wins over the UAE and Oman, but their journeys since the last World Cup have followed different trajectories.

Pakistan have endured a turbulent period, struggling to find consistency and forge a clear identity as a team. Their batting has often looked brittle, while their bowling, once their strongest suit, has lacked the same sharpness. In contrast, India have grown into a formidable force, boasting a lethal combination of in-form batters and a bowling attack widely regarded as the best in the world.

Given their balance and depth, India will once again enter the contest as favourites. Yet, with the weight of history and rivalry, Pakistan remain capable of springing a surprise.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, many fans and former cricketers have voiced strong anger towards Pakistan, with some even questioning whether the match should go ahead.

However, the Indian government gave clearance for the much-anticipated game, allowing the country to play against Pakistan in “international and multilateral events”, but can’t engage in “bilateral sports events in each other’s country”.

Despite getting the official nod, there is not much hype for the weekend’s clash as tickets were available online on Saturday, a day before the match, which is not the case for matches between the nemesis.

Live Streaming details:

The match will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

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