Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has urged his teammates to block out external distractions as the national side prepares to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four stage on Sunday.

The build-up to the contest has been clouded by controversy following their earlier clash in the group stage.

India’s seven-wicket win last week was followed by criticism after the players did not participate in customary post-match handshakes with their Pakistan counterparts.

Yadav, who top-scored with an unbeaten 47 in that game, also dedicated the victory to the Indian armed forces, a gesture that sparked further reactions across the border.

The situation escalated when Pakistan lodged complaints with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding Elite Panel match referee Andy Pycroft, who was on duty during the first India-Pakistan game.

Pakistan alleged that Pycroft condoned unsportsmanlike conduct by India and formally requested his removal from officiating their matches.

The ICC rejected both appeals, standing firmly behind its official and clarifying that Pycroft only relayed information from the Asian Cricket Council’s venue manager.

The governing body later stated that Pycroft “regretted the miscommunication” in a meeting with Pakistan’s team management, but had not apologised.

Despite these tensions, Pycroft has once again been appointed to oversee Sunday’s fixture.

Tournament sources confirmed his selection, noting that the other match referee available is former West Indies captain Richie Richardson.

Pakistan, unhappy with the development, has chosen not to hold a pre-match press conference in order to avoid questions on the matter.

Asked how players could insulate themselves from such distractions, Yadav replied, “Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep. I think that’s the best. It’s easy to say, but sometimes it is difficult. It is on you, what you want to listen to, what you want to have in your mind.”

He added that while it was not possible to completely shut out outside noise, players must learn to filter out the unhelpful and take what benefits them on the field.

On the prospect of facing Pakistan again, Yadav dismissed the idea that India’s earlier win would give them an advantage.

“Our preparation has been really good leading into the tournament. We have also had three good games, so we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We take it one game at a time. It doesn’t give us an edge that we have played them once and we had a good game. We have to start from scratch,” he said.

When a reporter alluded to the “no handshake” episode by asking whether India would “do the same as in the previous game,” Yadav responded with a quick retort: “Oh, you mean good performance with the ball? Yes, definitely. There’s a good combination of performance with both bat and ball. It feels so good when a stadium is jam-packed and you get support from such a big crowd. We just want to put our best foot forward for the country and do our best in the game.”

With inputs from Reuters