All the attention is on Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his opinion on the traditional post match handshake with Pakistan, as the Asia cup 2025 final is drawing near. This has been taken as a sign of sporting courtesy but this practice has drawn a lot of controversies in recent times coupled with the tension rooted behind it.
India vs Pakistan Handshake Row Asia Cup 2025
This was not the first time that Suryakumar and his teammates did not shake hands with the Pakistani side during the tournament. Indian players such as Suryakumar and Shivam Dube, after their victories, would come straight to the dressing room without shaking hands with their traditional handshake, Which the Indian government and the Board of Control over Cricket in India (BCCI) were said to have been in agreement with, as it showed goodwill to the victims of Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Will Suryakumar Yadav End The Handshake Controversy With Pakistan?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was deeply protesting against such practices and made official complaints to the International Cricket Council (ICC). They argued that the denial to do the post match rituals impaired the spirit of sportsmanship. The captain of Pakistan, Salman Ali Agha, had decided to miss the post match presentation ceremony following the defeat of the Super 4 stage to India. The situation worsened after it was reported that Suryakumar had contacted Asian Cricket Council (ACC) informing that he would take the Asia Cup trophy not in the presence of Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan President of the ACC, in case India won. This action was perceived as a follow up of the position of the Indian team on the matter. The ruling is not only important on the field, but is also a representation of the fine line between sport and nationalism. With all the gestures being inflated, the result of such an encounter can carry a long way beyond the game itself.
