A rather unusual incident occurred prior to the start of the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on September 14, 2025. Instead of the Pakistan national anthem, the stadium DJ mistakenly played "Jalebi Baby," a popular English song by Tesher and Jason Derulo.
The Pakistani team, led by Salman Ali Agha, was ready to sing their national anthem when the music started. However, to their surprise, the opening notes of "Jalebi Baby" filled the stadium. The DJ quickly realized the error and switched to the correct anthem after about six seconds.
The incident was captured on video and quickly spread on social media, drawing reactions from fans. While some found the situation humorous, others considered it an embarrassment for the Pakistan team and nation.
Before the anthem mishap, there were already rising tensions between the two teams. During the toss, captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha avoided eye contact and refused to shake hands. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Both teams fielded unchanged lineups from their previous matches.
The incident has added another layer of intensity to the already highly charged atmosphere surrounding India-Pakistan matches. Some people have criticized the fact that the two teams are playing each other in the Asia Cup, given the recent increase in tensions between the two nations.
