On Sunday, September 14, in Dubai, India clinched a stunning victory over Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup 2025 match. The game was surrounded by calls for a 'boycott' within India. During the toss and post-match, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav ignored Pakistani captain Salman Agha, and contrary to sports tradition, there was no handshake between them. The 'No Handshake' moment became the most talked-about event of the match.
In the award ceremony following the match, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav mentioned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Surya stated that the victory was 'a wonderful gift for the nation.' Captain Surya expressed solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam attack and dedicated the win to the Armed Forces.
During the post-match press conference, Surya clarified the reason for not shaking hands with Pakistani players. Surya said, 'Our government and BCCI were in complete agreement. We decided that we came solely to play the game and gave Pakistan a tough response.' On the other hand, Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha was absent from the post-match ceremony.
Why did the Pakistani captain not attend the post-presentation ceremony?
Pakistan's white-ball head coach Mike Hesson explained that the Pakistani captain skipped the ceremony due to what was perceived as the Indian team's 'disappointing' behavior at the game's end. Hesson said, 'We were clearly excited for a concluding handshake and friendly chat, but it didn't happen.'
PCB Lodges Protest with Referee
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed to Dawn.com that Pakistan team manager Naveed Akhtar Cheema formally lodged a protest against the inappropriate behavior of the Indian team. PCB stated, 'Manager Cheema also officially lodged a protest against the match referee's behavior, as the referee had requested both captains not to shake hands during the toss.'
What Happened in the India-Pakistan Asia Cup Match
Indian spin bowlers shone with outstanding performances, restricting Pakistan to a struggling 127-9 in the first innings. In the midst of Pakistan's difficulties, Shaheen Afridi scored an unbeaten 33 runs from 16 balls. India's standout bowler was Kuldeep Yadav, who took 3 wickets for just 19 runs. Meanwhile, Axar Patel grabbed 2 wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah lent significant support with his pace bowling.
India later triumphed with a commanding seven-wicket win, thanks to explosive batting from Abhishek Sharma (31 runs, 13 balls) and captain Surya (47 runs, 37 balls). Tilak Verma also contributed 31 runs.
