Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi reacted to India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan players after the Asia Cup 2025 match. Naqvi expressed disappointment over the Men in Blue’s gesture, adding that politics should not be dragged into cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav’s team outplayed Pakistan in the one-sided match in Dubai. The game between arch-rivals failed to spark excitement, but Suryakumar’s decision to skip the customary handshake with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his teammates grabbed attention from the cricketing community.
Mohsin Naqvi reacts to India vs Pakistan controversy
Mohsin Naqvi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express disappointment over India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan players. He called the gesture against “the spirit of sports” and hoped that future victories would be celebrated with respect and grace by all teams.
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“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let’s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Pakistan also reacted to the no-handshake incident. Captain Salman Ali Agha was absent from the post-match presentation, which added to speculation about the emotional toll of the defeat and the controversy over Suryakumar Yadav side’s decision to skip handshakes.
We Came Here Just to Play the Game – Suryakumar Yadav
There was no handshake between India and Pakistan after their Asia Cup 2025 clash. The Pakistan players walked toward the Indian dressing room, but the doors were closed.
During the presentation ceremony and later in the press conference, Suryakumar Yadav clarified that the no-handshake gesture was linked to the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Our government and BCCI were aligned. We came here and we took a call. We came here just to play the game. We gave the proper reply. Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit,” Suryakumar said.
Before the match, calls for a boycott had already reached the Indian dressing room. It will not be the only meeting between the archrivals in the tournament, as they are expected to meet again in the Super 4 stage.
Outstanding Bowling Effort Helps the Men in Blue Restrict Pakistan to Just 127
After choosing to bat first, Pakistan struggled from the start. They lost Saim Ayub for a golden duck to Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Mohammad Haris for three runs in the next over. Axar Patel then sent back Fakhar Zaman (17) and captain Salman Ali Agha (3).
Kuldeep Yadav struck twice in the 13th over, removing Hasan Nawaz (5) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) on consecutive deliveries. Shaheen Afridi finished unbeaten on 33 from 16 balls with four sixes, as Pakistan posted 127/9 in 20 overs.
Abhishek Sharma gave the team a flying start with 31 off 13 balls. Shubman Gill perished for 10, but Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma added 56 runs for the third wicket. Varma was dismissed for 31, but Suryakumar, unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls, guided the team to victory with 25 balls to spare.
Also read: Shoaib Akhtar starts crying after India-Pakistan Handshake controversy
