Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson speaks to the media on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium on September 11, 2025. — AFP
DUBAI: India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan within the Asia Cup conflict at Dubai Stadium on Sunday was eclipsed by off-field drama after Indian gamers skipped the customary post-match handshake.
India thumped Pakistan by seven wickets in a Group A Asia Cup conflict in Dubai, which ended on a bitter word as Indian gamers headed into their dressing room and not using a customary handshake.
As a substitute of greeting their opponents, Suryakumar and teammate Shivam Dube exchanged fist bumps after hitting the successful runs, congratulated one another, after which headed straight to the dressing room.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson later approached the Indian camp, however no gamers got here out.
Coach Mike Hesson known as it “a disappointing way for the match to end.”
“We were ready to shake hands at the end, but the opposition had already gone to the dressing room,” he mentioned.
Pakistan, in protest, refused to attend the post-match ceremony as tensions flared in a match which was the primary between the bitter rivals since Might´s navy motion.
The cross-border clashes have been sparked after an assault in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in April, which killed 26 folks, with India blaming Pakistan.
A mixture-up with Pakistan’s anthem earlier than the beginning had already made the environment tense.
The coach additionally make clear Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s absence from the customary post-match presentation, linking it to the incident.
“I think it was just a flow-on effect. We were keen to engage and shake hands at the end of the match, that didn’t happen, and that was pretty much the end of it,” he defined.
“The team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a protest with match referee Andy Pycroft after the match,” mentioned Pakistan’s workforce administration in a press release after the match.
“The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship,” it added. “That is why skipper Agha was not sent to the post-match ceremony.”
India’s victorious captain Suryakumar Yadav defended his workforce’s resolution to not shake fingers with the defeated Pakistan gamers on Sunday, saying that it was taken in alignment with their authorities and cricket board.
New Delhi resisted the calls to boycott the match and cleared the workforce to play Pakistan solely in multi-national occasions.
“We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India,” mentioned Suryakumar after scoring 47 not out as India chased down a modest Pakistan goal of 128 in 15.5 overs.
The handshake subject had additionally come up earlier when Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha didn’t shake fingers on the toss.
India, with two wins from two, are almost by means of to the subsequent Tremendous Fours stage of the event with their last group match towards Oman on Friday.
Pakistan play the UAE subsequent on Wednesday and regardless of the defeat to India, are anticipated to make the subsequent stage.
