The sixth match of the Asia Cup 2025 was marred by a controversy as Indian players refused to engage in the customary handshake with their Pakistani counterparts both before and after the contest.

As per reports, the Salman Ali Agha-led side had gone towards the Indian dressing room for interaction but the door was closed by the Men in Blue.

In his protest, Pakistan captain Salman refrained from attending the post-match presentation ceremony.

Following the game, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson explained that the Men in Green were disappointed by India denying the customary handshakes, and that Salman's absence from the presentation was a flow-on effect.

"We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We are disappointed that our opposition did not do that. We went over there to shake hands but they had already gone into the changing room. It was a disappointing way for the match to finish and in a match where we were disappointed with the way we played. Certainly, we were willing to go and shake hands," Hesson said in the post-match press conference.

The match was played in the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two nations following the Pahalgam terror attack and the retaliatory Operation Sindoor earlier this year.

After hitting the winning runs, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav walked back to the dressing room alongside non-striker Shivam Dube without shaking hands with the Pakistani players. At the toss, Suryakumar pointedly refused to acknowledge his Pakistan counterpart as well.

Moreover, the Indian captain dedicated the win over Pakistan to the country’s armed forces and said the national team stood in solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

In the post-match presser, Suryakumar also hinted that the decision not to shake hands was pre-planned. "Our government and BCCI, we were aligned together. The rest, we came here, we took a call. I feel we came here just to play the game. I think we gave them a proper reply," he said.

With two wins from as many matches, India sit on top of the Group A points table. With a place in the next round, the Super 4s, all but confirmed, they will take on Oman in their final group-stage match in Abu Dhabi on September 19.

India and Pakistan might face each other twice more in the continental showpiece, given that both teams qualify for Super 4s and final.