Interim head coach Aqib Javed, who addressed the media after practice, did not give any specific reason for Azam's absence, saying that the former captain chose to rest.

Virat Kohli gave Babar Azam a pat in the back amid the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. A video of the same surfaced on social media as the netizens praised the sportsmanship of the two star batters, especially with both of them struggling for runs recently.