The group stage encounter between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2025 has been in the news over the handshake row. Even before the match was played, many in India had called for its boycott in the wake of Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent, forcing Indian Armed Forces to retaliate with Operation Sindoor targeting terror base both in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan.
During the toss, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav declined to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, demonstrating the animosity. The Indian team maintained the gesture after the action was over, leading Pakistan to boycott the post-match presentation.
The PCB then formally complained against match referee Andy Pycroft, alleging that he had violated the ICC Code of Conduct, which escalated the situation even more. Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf also joined the criticism wave, although he became involved in another controversy after making a disparaging comment about Suryakumar.
He insulted Suryakumar and accused him of influencing umpiring decisions when speaking on a Pakistani television program. 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal responded to Yousuf's assertion by denouncing the former Pakistani batsman as " stupid".
"Look, you must have seen the former Pakistani cricketers, how much they criticise their team. You can see the frustration. They have started abusing the other team’s players. This shows how educated they are. Abusing anyone is not a good thing. I think we are unnecessarily giving them publicity. This is what they want: publicity. All the YouTubers talk about India and make their hits. This is their moral principle," Madan Lal told ANI.
India had then defeated Pakistan by seven wickets as Suryakumar led the modest 128-run chase. The captain returned unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls as India wrapped the chase with 4.1 overs to spare. This was after Kuldeep Yadav's excellent show with the ball as he registered three scalps to completely derail Pakistan.
India and Pakistan will now meet at Dubai once again on Sunday, which is a Super Four encounter.
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