By Gokul Nair

Copyright sportskeeda

Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav dished out a trademark, hilarious reply to a reporter who brought up the fact that the Asia Cup 2025 is heading into the business end. The tournament saw the culmination of its group stages after the Men in Blue’s win over Oman in Abu Dhabi, with the Super 4 stage and the final yet to be played. With the Asia Cup being contested with eight teams for the first time in its history, the number of matches have been increased to 19 matches. So far, 12 matches have been played, with six games scheduled for the Super 4 stage, and the grand final to conclude proceedings. During the pre-match press conference ahead of Team India’s clash against Pakistan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav was asked about how toss could be a factor towards the ‘business end’ of the tournament. “Arre dada, abhi to chalu hua hai yaar, business end kaise ho gaya? (The tournament just started, how is it business end already),” the Indian skipper replied (via Times of India). Have a look at the moment right here (4:19)Suryakumar Yadav elaborated on how the toss has not been a huge factor so far, and that surfaces have largely remained true throughout the contest. He suggested that there was a bit of dew during the second innings of the match against Oman. He credited the sports science team for keeping hydration and recovery a priority for the players. It becomes a vital aspect since India only have a day’s break before they face Pakistan in the Super 4 stage. “The sports science team is going a good job regarding hydration, the recovery is very important. When you reach this level and become a professional, it does not become necessary to tell the players how to prepare for a game one or two days prior to it. We also play matches in the IPL at 3 or 4 PM, so it is a similar kind of preparation. I have not seen players here being affected by cramps as such so far,” he said. The Asia Cup 2025 only saw one afternoon encounter which was held between the Untied Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The match began at 4 PM local time, as opposed to the 6:30 PM local time start set for the remaining matches. “Macha, you are taking rest today” – Suryakumar Yadav on reminding Varun Chakaravarthy that he is not playing against Oman in Asia Cup 2025 Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was one of the two players, along with Jasprit Bumrah, who were rested for the final group stage match against Oman. Suryakumar Yadav noted that despite not being on the team sheet, the spinner came in and put in a serious shift during the net session.”He did bowl a lot in the nets yesterday, that is his routine, whether he is playing or not. He likes to come to the ground, bowl around 8 to 10 overs. He was pumped up during the warm-ups, it almost felt like he was playing the game. I had to tell him that, ‘ Macha, you are taking rest today’,” Suryakumar Yadav said. Team India will face Pakistan in the Super 4 stage on Sunday, September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium.