Team India refused to shake hands with Pakistan after their Asia Cup win, protesting the Pahalgam terror attack. PCB and ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi called it unsportsmanlike, while Suryakumar Yadav said the team acted per BCCI and government directives.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also chief of Asian Cricket Council (ACC), broke his silence over Team India’s refusal to shake hands with arch-rivals Pakistan following a seven-wicket victory in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 14.
The Men in Blue registered their second win of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 with a commanding victory over the rival nation. With a 128-run target, Team India chased it down in 15.5 overs. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav played an unbeaten captain’s knock of 47 off 37 balls, while Abhishek Sharma (31) and Tilak Varma (31) contributed significantly to India’s run chase.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy dismantled Pakistan’s batting line-up before Shaheen Afridi’s late blitz could only take Pakistan to 127/9 in their 20 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) earning the Player of the Match award for his match-winning spell.
India’s No handshake controversy
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and players refused to interact or shake hands with Pakistan after the victory, as a mark of protest against the Pahalgam terror attack. At the toss, Suryakumar neither exchanged glances nor shook hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha amid the backlash over the BCCI agreeing to play Pakistan.
After Suryakumar hit a winning six to take Team India past the finishing line, India skipper and Shivam Dube shook hands with each other and walked back to the dressing room without acknowledging the Pakistan players. Though Salman Agha and his boys stood outside India’s dressing room, they were not approached by the Indian team.
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When asked about India’s no handshake with Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav stated that his team adhered to the decision taken by the BCCI and the Indian government, adding that it was a way of giving the rival nation a proper reply.
“Our government and BCCI were aligned. When we came here, we took a call. We were here to just play the game. We gave them a proper reply.” India T20I skipper at the press conference.
Mohsin Naqvi cries over ‘lack of sportsmanship’
PCB chairman and ACC chief, Mohsin Naqvi, expressed his disappointment over Team India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan, terming it as ‘lack of sportsmanship’ by the Men in Blue. He added that dragging politics into sport is against the spirit of cricket.
“Utterly disappointed by the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let’s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace,” Naqvi wrote on X.
The recently concluded face-off between India and Pakistan was the first since the Pahalgam terror attack, killing 26 Indian nationals on April 22 this year. A few days before the clash, there had been a massive call for a boycott of Team India’s match against Pakistan, arguing it would go against public sentiment and send a wrong message to the nation.
Despite the backlash, the BCCI still decided to go ahead with the match against Pakistan, honouring their commitments to international tournaments. Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that forfeiture of the match against Pakistan would lead to India losing the points and potential elimination from the tournament.