Suryakumar Yadav-led India maintain cold vibe, snub customary handshakes post Pakistan demolition

Suryakumar Yadav and Co. walk off the field after win without customary handshake. (Photo: SonyLiv)

The much-anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup began and ended on a frosty note. The crowd at the Dubai International Stadium erupted when captains Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha walked out for the toss, yet the customary show of sportsmanship was missing. Even after India sealed the victory with a six from their skipper, the players of both teams shook each others hand and walked off the field.

There was no handshake between the two skippers as they handed over their team sheets to the umpire and exchanged words with commentator Ravi Shastri before walking back to their respective dugouts.

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The cold start carried through to the end as well. Even after India’s victory, the Indian players quietly walked off the field without engaging in the customary post-match handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts, capping off a tense and unusual chapter in the storied rivalry.

As per The Indian Express, Yadav had already decided earlier in the morning that he would refrain from the traditional pre-match handshake. He informed his teammates of his choice, while clarifying that they were free to make their own decisions.

no handshake with pak players..
good job by surya.. #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/FgbN1fomxu

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Coming to the contest, spinners Kuldeep Yadav (Player of the Match) and Axar Patel played key roles in restricting Pakistan to 127 for 9 after captain Salman Agha chose to bat first.

Chasing the target, India cruised to victory in just 15.5 overs, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav remaining unbeaten on 47 from 37 deliveries, while Abhishek Sharma smashed 31 off 13 and Tilak Varma contributed 31 off 31 balls.

India’s bowling attack struck early as Hardik Pandya removed Saim Ayub with the first legal delivery of the match, and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Mohammad Haris in the following over, leaving Pakistan reeling at 6 for 2.

Kuldeep and Axar tightened their grip on the middle order, picking up wickets at regular intervals to halt Pakistan’s progress.

While Sahibzada Farhan battled hard with a 40-run knock off 44 balls, the rest of the Pakistani lineup struggled on the slow pitch. A late flourish from Shaheen Afridi, who struck an unbeaten 33 off 16 deliveries, helped Pakistan cross the 125-run mark.