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.
Visuals showed the Men in Green making their way to the Indian dressing room for interaction, but the door was closed by the defending champions.
In an act of protest, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha then refrained from attending the post-match presentation conducted by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.
Speaking to India Today, legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar took a brutal dig at Agha for skipping the post-match presentation in the aftermath of the handshake row.
Not the one mince his words, Gavaskar said Agha’s absence from the post-match ceremony barely made any difference as no one was interested in listening to excuses from the losing party.
After hitting the winning six, Suryakumar Yadav walked back to the dressing room alongside non-striker Shivam Dube, refusing to exchange post-match pleasantries with the bitter rivals.
The Indian captain also 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 attack.
“Sports and politics have never been separate - you only need to look back over the years to see that. I wouldn't criticise someone for taking that stance, and I wouldn't want to get into a debate about it. When you start discussing political references, you get into policies and complexities that are frankly beyond my pay grade,” said Gavaskar.
“I don't think it made much difference anyway - people mainly wanted to hear what the winning captain had to say, not excuses from the other side,” he added.
The handshake gate seems to have hurt the Pakistan cricket team’s ego, prompting PCB to lodge a complaint with the ICC and also demanding match referee Andy Pycroft’s removal.
According to reports, PCB has even threatened to pull out of the continental event if its demand for Pycroft’s sacking is not fulfilled.
However, Gavaskar pointed out that there is no rule that makes it compulsory to have post-match handshakes, and every Indian player was well within their rights to do what they did.
“I didn't actually see it myself, but ultimately it's up to each individual what they want to do. On the field, there are times when people abuse you and say things that aren't acceptable. If someone has been calling you names, asking that you go and shake hands with them is too much to expect,” Gavaskar said.
“I don't know exactly what happened on the field or whether words were exchanged, but if an individual decides not to shake hands, they are perfectly within their rights to do so," he remarked.
