Dubai: A moment of high drama unfolded in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash between India and Pakistan as Fakhar Zaman’s controversial dismissal sparked heated reactions from players and fans alike. The incident occurred when Hardik Pandya, bowling a deceptive off-cutter, induced an edge from Zaman which was collected low by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.

On-field umpires immediately referred the decision to the third umpire, seeking clarity on whether the catch was clean. After several replays, the third umpire ruled Zaman out, confirming that Samson had caught the ball just before it grazed the turf. Zaman, however, appeared visibly displeased with the verdict, believing the ball may have bounced.

The dismissal marked a key breakthrough for India, with Pandya claiming his 15th wicket in India-Pakistan T20Is — the most by any bowler in fixtures between the arch-rivals.

While the dismissal divided opinions, Indian fans overwhelmingly backed Samson. Social media platform X was flooded with praise for his sharp glovework. “That was definitely a clean catch; the second angle proved it — let the Pakistani fans whine as usual,” one user posted. Another wrote, “This is why Sanju Samson is the greatest T20I wicketkeeper of the modern era.”

Earlier, Pakistan had a brief stroke of luck when opener Sahibzada Farhan was dropped by Abhishek Sharma. Tensions were already high following the recent handshake controversy, reignited at the toss when India captain Suryakumar Yadav once again avoided greeting Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha.

India made two key changes, bringing back Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy into the XI.