India are up against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match Today (Sunday, Sept 21), and Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha again avoided a handshake with each other.
At the Toss, the two captains came out along with match referee Andy Pycroft. The duo had no eye contact for the entire event, and they avoided any pre-match pleasantries.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first.
"We'll bowl first. Looks a nice track and yesterday there was dew. Since first round, we were thinking we're playing a knockout tournament, nothing changes. It is just a normal game and as I have said, we will look to play well," Suryakumar said at the toss.
Surya also mentioned the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy back
to the side. The duo were rested in the Oman match, but they have now been recalled for the Super Four encounter.
And as Surya walked past Agha after his words, the India captain had no look at his counterpart. The duo again missed out on a handshake. Salman Agha then spoke with Ravi Shastri and that concluded the toss.
Does it refuel the IND vs PAK Handshake Saga?
India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads with a no-handshake saga in this Asia Cup. In the previous match, the Indian team, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, chose not to shake hands with the Pakistani players post-match as a protest against the April terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, which India blamed on Pakistan-backed terrorists.
The match referee had reportedly allowed the Indian team to skip the handshake, but Pakistani players were left confused and disappointed. Pakistan lodged a formal complaint, calling it unsportsmanlike. They also demanded removal of the match referee Andy Pycroft and threatened to quit the Asia Cup. After a series of drama with ICC and potential financial fine threat, Pakistan agreed to continue playing in the tournament and caved in against the apex body of world cricket.
As Surya and Salman have again skipped the handshake, we may have to wait till the end of the match. If another collective miss happens, it may not fuel a new controversy, but it may be considered as the new norm in India-Pakistan matches.
