TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: Dominant India cruised to a seven-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their high-stakes Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but the result was overshadowed by off-field drama as Indian players skipped the customary post-match handshake.Chasing 128, skipper Suryakumar Yadav (47 not out off 37 balls) and Shivam Dube sealed the victory in 15.5 overs in Dubai.
However, instead of greeting their opponents, the Indian pair walked straight to the dressing room after the winning six hit by Suryakumar. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson later approached the Indian camp, but no players came out to shake hands. Hesson appeared visibly annoyed by the snub.The India captain later spoke about his team’s performance and how he felt scoring the winning runs on his birthday. Greeted by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, Suryakumar said, “This is the perfect return gift to India.”He then made use of the winning moment to dedicate the win to India’s armed forces. “We stand by the victims of the families of Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. We want to dedicate today’s win to all our Armed Forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” said the skipper. His comment was received with a roar of applause from the crowd. India’s decision to not shake hands after the match on the other hand, was the second no-handshake episode of the day, after Suryakumar and Agha declined to exchange hands at the toss. The tension had already been stoked before the start, when organisers mistakenly played the wrong anthem for Pakistan, forcing an awkward pause before the correction.In the post-match press conference as well, Team India skipper answered questions about not shaking hands with the opposition. Posed with the same task of explaining his decision, he said. “Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit also.”Team India and the players came under the microscope ahead of the Pakistan clash, given the charged atmosphere surrounding the match and amidst calls for boycotting the game. Speaking about handling the noise around such a game, the skipper said the squad had kept distractions away. “In my team, we decided to cut the outside noise. I don’t know what is happening on the social media,” he said.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson was also straightforward in the way he answered questions about the handshake incident. “We were ready to shake hands, disappointed opposition didn’t do that,” Hesson said after the game. He added that Pakistan were expecting to shake hands, but that India did not reciprocate. On the field, India’s spinners dominated. Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Axar Patel (2/18) choked Pakistan’s middle order after Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah struck early blows. Only Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 44) and Shaheen Afridi (33* off 16) offered resistance, taking Pakistan to 127/9. In reply, India made short work of the chase. Abhishek Sharma blazed 31 off 13 balls, Tilak Varma steadied with 31 off 31, and Suryakumar finished things off with trademark composure. Both sides came into the clash on the back of convincing wins, India crushing UAE and Pakistan thrashing Oman. But the simmering political tensions between the neighbours spilled onto the field, with the absence of handshakes adding another layer to the rivalry. India now top Group A, while Pakistan are left with question marks both on and off the field after another of the fancied rivalry went the Men in Blue’s way.
