Suryakumar Yadav’s Team India chose not to shake hands with Pakistan following their Asia Cup victory, a decision guided by the BCCI and government.
Handshakes, Morality, and Sporting Protest
In the 1,299 days since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has refused to shake hands with any Russian or Belarussian opponent, using the gesture as a silent protest. The Women’s Tennis Association has since acknowledged her stance, respecting Ukrainian athletes who forgo the handshake due to the ongoing war.
A similar principle was on display during Sunday’s T20 Asia Cup match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India captain Suryakumar Yadav deliberately avoided Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha at the toss, exchanging neither team sheets nor eye contact. Following India’s seven-wicket victory, Yadav, alongside Shivam Dube, returned to the dressing room without shaking hands with their opponents, reinforcing a message beyond sport.
Days earlier, Suryakumar Yadav had performed the handshake with Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, and briefly with Agha, but without pleasantries. Rising tensions in India over the April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, fueled calls for a boycott of the match.
"India wins, but no handshake with Pakistan. This isn’t just cricket, it’s a message for Pahalgam. 🔥🇮🇳"#INDvsPAK | Surya kumar Yadav | Abhishek Sharma | Tilak verma | Kuldeep Yadav | pic.twitter.com/cDDfK9P9aQ
— Harsh Vardhan (@harshvard100710) September 14, 2025
Post-Match Handshake Controversy
After Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube headed straight to the Indian dressing room, Pakistan’s players approached, only to find that their gesture of sportsmanship was unreciprocated. In response, captain Salman Ali Agha refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony, where both captains typically share thoughts with the broadcaster. The Pakistan Cricket Board also filed a formal protest through manager Naveed Akram Cheema, claiming match referee Andy Pycroft had allegedly “requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss.”
Addressing the media after the match, Suryakumar Yadav, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Sunday, was prepared for questions regarding India’s stance. “Our government and BCCI, we were aligned today. Rest, we took a call,” he said. “We came here just to play the game. That’s the end. We gave a proper reply.”
The episode highlighted the tension between convention and principle, with India signaling that certain actions on the field are guided by moral considerations rather than mere sportsmanship, emphasizing a broader message beyond cricket.
