Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav Breaks Silence On 'No Handshake Stance' After India Beat Pakistan

Dubai witnessed an emotionally charged India-Pakistan encounter in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, September 14, as India cruised to a seven-wicket victory. But the cricketing spectacle was overshadowed by the symbolic decision of the Indian players to skip the post-match handshake, a move that has sparked intense debate across the cricketing fraternity.

India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav defended the team's stance, making it clear that the call was deliberate and deeply connected to the prevailing geopolitical climate.

"We took a team call. We had come only to play. We had given them a reply. Some things are beyond sportsmanship. We dedicate this victory to our armed forces who took part in 'Operation Sindoor' and stand with families of the victims

of the Pahalgam terror attack," Suryakumar said at the post-match press conference. "We are aligned with our government and the BCCI," he added.

The decision to forego the traditional gesture of sportsmanship came in the wake of heightened tensions following the April Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistani terrorists and India's subsequent military response in May. Although there were growing calls to boycott the fixture entirely, the game went ahead in front of a near-capacity crowd, with around 85 per cent of the seats filled by Indian supporters.

On the field, India delivered a clinical performance with the ball. Pakistan, unable to handle India's spin trio, crumbled to 127/9 in their 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav (3/18), Axar Patel (2/18), and Varun Chakravarthy (1/24) combined to strangle the batting lineup, leaving the Pakistani batters searching for answers. Their total, at least 50 runs short of a competitive score on the Dubai pitch, proved no match for India's batting order.

Suryakumar sealed the contest in fitting fashion, smashing a six to complete the chase, even as Pakistan's players waited in line for the customary handshake that never came. While the victory virtually assured India of a Super Four berth, the political undertones ensured the clash would be remembered for far more than cricketing reasons.