IND vs PAK: The India-Pakistan rivalry is never short of drama, and even before the Asia Cup 2025 final began, tensions spilled over onto the field. The build-up to the toss took an unusual turn when both teams refused to engage with a single presenter.
Instead, two former internationals-Ravi Shastri for India and Waqar Younis for Pakistan-handled the post-toss interviews, breaking away from long-standing cricketing tradition.
This was the first time in international cricket that such an arrangement was put in place. According to a report by News18, Pakistan expressed reservations about their captain Salman Ali Agha interacting with Indian presenter Shastri. Shastri, who had conducted the toss interviews in both of the previous India-Pakistan
games during the tournament, was once again assigned by the broadcasters to speak with both captains. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly reached out to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), requesting a neutral figure to conduct the interviews.
When the ACC raised the matter with the BCCI, India made it clear that Shastri could not be replaced. As a compromise, it was agreed that India's stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav would continue to speak with Shastri, while Salman would interact with Waqar Younis, Pakistan's pace legend turned broadcaster.
The toss ceremony featured another unusual twist. Traditionally, captains pose together with the trophy ahead of a major final. This time, Salman Ali Agha posed alone, while Suryakumar Yadav did not take part in the shoot. BCCI insiders later clarified that they were never informed about a planned trophy photo session. They also pointed out that even during the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados, no joint photoshoot had been conducted between Rohit Sharma and South Africa's Aiden Markram.
While the cricketing action promises fireworks, the pre-match optics once again highlighted how deep-rooted the rivalry runs. From presentation tussles to solitary trophy shoots, the final began with its fair share of off-field theatrics-underlining that India vs Pakistan is never just about cricket.
