Asia Cup final: Suryakumar Yadav snubs trophy photo with Pakistan captain, maintains no-handshake policy

Cold vibes continue between India and Pakistan captains. (AP Photo)

The tension between the India and Pakistan showed no signs of easing, as they once again refrained from shaking hands at the toss of the Asia Cup 2025 final. This marks the third consecutive time Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has avoided a handshake with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.

Meanwhile, both Ravi Shastri and Waqar Younis were present for the toss, which India won and opted to bowl. Interestingly, Shastri spoke with Suryakumar at toss, while Younis spoke with the Pakistan skipper.

In addition, the two captains also didn't come together for the traditional captains’ photo session with the trophy before the clash. As per reports, the two captains posed separately with the trophy.

In the previous two encounters between the two sides, India have dominated the show on the ground, but cricket has been overshadowed by political messaging. It all started with India refusing to engage in both pre and post-match rituals with Pakistan, an act that left Pakistan irked, who then boycotted the presentation ceremony during the group stage.

Pakistan even threatened to pull out from the tournament, and lodged a protest against match referee Andy Pycroft demanding his ouster from the tournament. The request was rejected by the ICC but things heated further as the tournament progressed.

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The crucial group stage match between Pakistan and UAE witnessed plenty of chaos, which included a delay by an hour from its scheduled start.

In the Super Four stage, Pakistan also branded a more aggressive approach and their players were caught making provocative gestures towards the Indian fans. The gestures were mostly in line with Pakistan's claim that it had shot down six fighter jets during the recent Operation Sindoor, which Indian Armed Forces launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

The match has already witnessed the tension brewing with the skippers not participating in any of the customary rituals. It'll be interesting how the Indian team responds to Mohsin Naqvi's presence at the post-match trophy ceremony. He is the current chairman of Asian Cricket Council (ACC), also the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Naqvi is also the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board. As the head of the continental body, he will be well within his rights to present the trophy and also engage in a customary handshake with both squads.