Suryakumar Yadav refuses handshake with Salman Agha at Asia Cup

DUBAI: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav once again chose to skip a handshake with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha during the toss for their T20 Asia Cup 2025 Super Four encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Following the toss, Suryakumar Yadav walked straight past Pakistan’s skipper to Ravi Shastri for the pre-match talk, while Salman Ali Agha mirrored the gesture.

The handshake snub comes in the backdrop of an ongoing row between the arch-rivals, stemming from the group-stage clash, which attracted considerable attention both on and off the field.

The drama began when the Indian captain crossed all boundaries of sportsmanship by using his post-match presentation speech to drag politics into cricket, a move described by many observers as “unprecedented” and “damaging for the spirit of the game”.

Compounding the tension was India’s refusal to exchange a traditional handshake at the toss ceremony — an omission reportedly directed by match referee Andy Pycroft.

Matters escalated to the point where the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) considered pulling out of the Asia Cup altogether. The situation was defused only after Pycroft admitted to mishandling aspects of the controversy and expressed regret, according to PCB.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to initiate any formal inquiry into the matter, something that has left the PCB deeply dissatisfied.

The Suryakumar-led side is entering the clash unbeaten with three wins in as many matches in the Group stage, while Pakistan managed to defeat two associate teams, UAE and Oman, but suffered a defeat against the arch-rival in a one-sided encounter last Sunday.

Amid this controversy, the Pakistan cricket team — a day earlier — cancelled its scheduled pre-match press conference. Although the team management gave no reason.

India won the September 14 group match by seven wickets in Dubai and afterwards refused to shake hands with their opponents, angering Pakistan. It was the first meeting between the neighbours since a four-day armed conflict in May left more than 70 people dead.