The handshake controversy stole attention again during the Super-Four clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025. The drama unfolded on September 21 (Sunday) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, as Indian players did not shake hands with their opponents. During the toss, captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha didn’t exchange pleasantries and only greeted match referee Andy Pycroft.
Even at the match's conclusion, the scene remained unchanged. Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya led India to victory and directly returned to the dressing room. Similarly, in a group match against Pakistan, Indian players refrained from handshakes. The International Cricket Council (ICC) rulebook does not mandate handshakes.
After thumping Pakistan, team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir made headlines. Gambhir advised captain Suryakumar Yadav and others to shake hands with the umpires. A video circulated widely showing Gambhir telling his players, ‘At least greet the umpires.’
The players returned to the field on Gambhir’s direction to only greet the umpires, leaving the Pakistan team visibly surprised. This marked India's consecutive seventh victory against Pakistan in international cricket. Considering the T20 Internationals, team India has won all 8 run chases against Pakistan.
In this match against Pakistan, the heroes were opener Shubman Gill (47) and Abhishek Sharma (74). Together, they aggressively partnered to score 105 runs in just 59 balls, emphatically challenging Pakistani pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Post India's emphatic victory over Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir shared pictures of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and other players on his Instagram story. Captioning the picture, Gambhir wrote, 'Fearless.'
Source: aajtak
With this victory, India once again asserted its dominance over Pakistan. Next, India will meet Bangladesh in the Super-4 match on Wednesday, September 24. Meanwhile, Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on Tuesday, September 23, at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium. If India triumphs over Bangladesh, its place in the finals will be nearly certain. Conversely, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka to keep its chances alive.
