The sour relations between India and Pakistan have made headlines for the past few months. From cinema to culture, everything has suffered. Now it is the latest cricket match, the Asia Cup 2025, in Dubai, where both teams decided to skip shaking hands with their opponents, which made headlines. The Indian team was headed was captain Suryakumar Yadav, who confirmed that his team opted out of shaking hands with the Pakistani cricket team after the match concluded.
The ‘no handshake’ controversy has made waves on the internet, as it was seen as a measure taken by the Indian team to boycott the customary practice upon their arrival. The captain said that the team’s reply was in the backdrop of the war-like situation between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22. Describing the seven-wicket victory, the captain replied after the match that since the government and the BCCI wanted the team to play the match, they agreed upon it.
He also said that it was not just a game but another chance to boycott the Pakistani team. Yadav scored the winning scores for the team, but right after that, along with the other batsman Shivam Dube, he walked out of the field without approaching the Pakistani captain for the post-match handshake. While the Pakistani players were waiting on the ground for the formality, the Indian team only shook hands with each other and went back to their dressing room.
Talking about why the team did not follow the custom, 35-year-old Suryakumar said that “A few things in life are above the sportsman’s spirit”. Videos of the event have circulated all over the internet, as people started noticing that the Indian team is not even looking at the rival team during the match.
It was clear that everything was not right when Suryakumar gave the interview after the match, where he expressed support for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which led to Operation Sindoor and firings between the two countries.
