BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia urged fans to celebrate India's victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 instead of getting distracted by the handshake controversy.
The high-stake clash in Dubai on Sunday (September 14) started with captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha making no handshake at the toss.
However, the main drama unfolded after Suryakumar hit the winning six. He and Shivam Dube charged into the dressing room without shaking hands with the Pakistan players.
At first, it seemed that even the Men in Green were not interested in offering the handshake. But things took a turn when the entire Pakistan lineup, led by captain Agha and coach Mike Hesson, approached the Indian dressing room, waiting for the customary handshakes. Soon, the Indian camp shut the door, firmly closing any chance of exchanging post-match pleasantries.
The handshake gate seems to have hurt the Pakistan cricket team’s ego, prompting the management to officially lodge a complaint against the Indian team's gesture, saying they were against "the spirit of sports". PCB has also threatened to pull out of the continental event if its demand for match referee Andy Pycroft’s removal is not fulfilled.
Addressing the controversy, Saikia advised the Indian fans to focus on celebrating team’s win rather than paying attention to remarks from ‘third parties’ or ‘hostile countries’.
“I can only say that India won handsomely. It was a thumping victory for the Indian team. Nothing more. Nothing less. That’s all. India won the match so comfortably. We should be enjoying that rather than focusing on all that noise created by some third party or hostile countries. We should not be bothered by it. Instead, we should appreciate and feel proud of our boys for doing so well. We hope the winning momentum will continue till the last match of this tournament," Saikia was quoted as saying to IANS.
In the post-match presser, Suryakumar Yadav had 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 ongoing Asia Cup, provided both teams qualify for Super 4s and final.
