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Team India delivered a powerful statement both on and off the field during their commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the match, citing solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Team India skips post match handshake with Pakistan after Asia Cup 2025 game
The dramatic scenes unfolded after Suryakumar sealed the victory with a towering six, walking straight to the dressing room without engaging in the customary post-match handshakes. Even more striking was when Pakistani players approached the Indian dressing room expecting traditional pleasantries, only to find the doors firmly shut in their faces.
The handshake boycott stems from the devastating Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, where 26 innocent tourists were brutally killed after being segregated based on religion. The attack was perpetrated by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-backed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. India’s subsequent military response, codenamed Operation Sindoor, targeted nine terrorist training camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7-8, 2025.
Suryakumar was uncompromising in his post-match explanation, stating: “We took a team call. We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor and stand with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack“. The decision was reportedly orchestrated by head coach Gautam Gambhir, who advised players against any verbal exchanges with Pakistani counterparts.
Here’s the video:
No handshake by Indian team.
Pakistan waited for handshake but India went to the dressing room and closed the doors.
What a humiliation by Indian team 🤣
Belt treatment for Porkis#INDvPAK #IndianCricket #INDvsPAK #indvspak2025 #AsiaCupT20 #AsiaCup #ShubmanGill #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/zXMXZEmiuP
— Aman (@dharma_watch) September 14, 2025
Pakistan lodges official protest as controversy escalates
The Pakistani cricket establishment responded with visible frustration and formal complaints. Captain Salman Ali Agha boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony in protest, while head coach Mike Hesson expressed disappointment: “We wanted to shake hands but were disappointed that the opposition didn’t do that. We went over there and they were already gone to the changing room“.
Pakistan’s team manager Naveed Akram Cheema filed an official complaint with match referee Andy Pycroft, calling India’s behavior “against the spirit of sports“. The Pakistan Cricket Board issued a statement terming the actions as “unsportsmanlike” and confirmed that match officials had advised against handshakes at the toss but provided no directive for post-match formalities.
Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board, publicly criticized India’s conduct on social media, writing: “Utterly disappointed by the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports“.
The match itself saw India dominate proceedings with spinners Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Axar Patel (2/18) restricting Pakistan to just 127/9. India’s chase was led by explosive opener Abhishek Sharma‘s 31 off 13 balls and captain Suryakumar’s unbeaten 47 off 37 deliveries, sealing victory with 25 balls to spare.
This incident marks the first time in recent cricket history where geopolitical tensions have so visibly manifested in on-field protocols, raising questions about the intersection of sports and politics in India-Pakistan encounters. The controversy has overshadowed what was otherwise a clinical cricket performance, with the “handshake gate” becoming the primary talking point from Dubai.
