India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025
After the Asia Cup match, India closed their dressing room to Pakistan and avoided handshakes, leaving Pakistan captain Salman Agha upset with the incident at the Dubai stadium.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, upset after India’s players shut the dressing room door and avoided handshakes, skipped the usual post-match press conference following their Asia Cup 2025 clash in Dubai. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also filed a formal complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, who had reportedly instructed the captains during the toss not to shake hands.
The Group A clash came only months after the tragic Pahalgam attack, fueling strong emotions among Indian cricket fans who called for a boycott of Pakistan. The BCCI’s decision to go ahead with the match added to their anger, sparking outrage across social media.
No Handshakes After Asia Cup Clash, Pakistan Captain Left Furious
Respecting public sentiment, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav avoided shaking hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha during the toss. The same approach was followed after India’s dominant seven-wicket win, as Suryakumar and Shivam Dube headed straight to the dressing room without exchanging handshakes with the Pakistan players.
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Indian players in the dugout also headed straight to the dressing room, choosing to ignore the Pakistani team waiting for the traditional post-match handshakes. With the dressing room door shut, they did not return to the field.
At the post-match press conference, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson explained that Salman Ali Agha skipped the media interaction as a ‘reaction’ to India’s refusal to shake hands with him. He further pointed out that Indian players ignored the Pakistan team after the game.
We were prepared to shake hands after the match, but it was disappointing that the opposition chose not to. We went towards them, but by then they had already gone inside the dressing room,” he said
It was a disappointing way for the match to end, and although we weren’t happy with our performance, we were definitely willing to shake hands,” he said.
Suryakumar Backs Team India’s Stand, Shows Solidarity with Pahalgam Victims
India captain Suryakumar defended the team’s decision in the post-match press conference, explaining that avoiding handshakes was a conscious move to show solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Our government and the BCCI were on the same page today,” Suryakumar said. “The rest was our call, we came here only to play cricket, and we have given a fitting reply.”
“There are a few things in life that go beyond sportsmanship. As I mentioned during the presentation, we stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attacks, their families, and express our solidarity with them.”
“India and Pakistan are likely to face each other again in the Super 4s, where the handshake controversy could resurface.”