In a major development, the India National Cricket Team skipper Suryakumar Yadav is set to continue his handshake snub with the Pakistan National Cricket Team skipper Salman Agha in the upcoming matches.
The India National Cricket Team have already qualified for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025, and the Pakistan National Cricket Team could book the spot by beating the UAE in their final game.
India humiliated Pakistan on the global stage
The biggest match of the Asia Cup 2025 between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium was not an intense one, but it was definitely filled with drama.
Your daily dose of cricket!
It started even before the first ball of the match was bowled. Suryakumar Yadav ignored his Pakistan counterpart, Salman Agha, and didn’t engage in the customary handshake after the toss.
As the match started, India annihilated Pakistan and restricted the Men In Green to 127/9. Kuldeep Yadav bagged three wickets, Axar Patel got two wickets, Jasprit Bumrah picked two wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy bagged one wicket each.
Chasing the target, Abhishek Sharma provided India with a great start, and he launched the attack on the Pakistan bowling attack. After that, India lost a few wickets, but were still in total control, and on the fifth ball of the 16th over, Suryakumar Yadav slammed a six off Sufiyan Muqeem to register a dominant 7-wicket win.
Suryakumar Yadav instantly walked off the field alongside Shivam Dube following the end of the game, and there were no post-match handshakes between the two teams.
Pakistan waited for customary post-match handshakes, but no one came out as the Indian team closed the door of their dressing room. It turned out to be a major humiliation for Pakistan on a global stage
Suryakumar Yadav to continue handshake snub
According to the latest report in India Today, Suryakumar Yadav will continue his handshake boycott against Pakistan if both teams face each other a couple of more times in the Asia Cup 2025.
Not just that, the report has clarified that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will impose no sanctions on India for refusing to shake hands with Pakistan, as their actions don’t breach any rule.
When Suryakumar Yadav was asked to explain the reason behind India’s big move, he said there are “a few things in life greater than sportsmanship.”
Also, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony in response to India’s actions, and the PCB has filed a complaint with the ICC to sack match referee Andy Pycroft.
The request to remove Andy Pycroft is likely to be rejected by the Jay Shah-led ICC, and in another development, the Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended their Director of International Cricket Operations, Usman Wahla, for ‘failing to take timely action’ over the handshake controversy.
The reason they mentioned for not shaking hands was that we are standing by the Pahalgam victims – Madan Lal
During the post-match presentation ceremony, Suryakumar Yadav dedicated India’s win to the Armed Forces and expressed solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims.
When former cricketer Madan Lal was asked in an interaction with ANI about Indian players refusing to shake hands with Pakistan cricketers, he said:
“…It is their call. The reason they mentioned for not shaking hands was that we are standing by the Pahalgam victims. I think terrorism and sports cannot go together. But at the end of the day, it’s a game, and you played and won. That is the best reply you gave.”
Also Read: Shahid Afridi goes crazy, slams Shaheen Afridi for good batting show vs India in Asia Cup
