India captain Suryakumar Yadav finished the match against Pakistan with a six and walked off right away with Shivam Dube without shaking hands with the Pakistan players. In the press conference, Surya explained in detail the gesture. Here’s what he said:
India thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets in the ongoing Asia Cup on Sunday. However, the Indian players not shaking hands with the Pakistan players after the match hogged the limelight. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube walked off from the ground after winning the match without shaking hands with any of the opposition players.
The India skipper attended the press conference after the match and explained the ‘no handshake’ gesture, stating that the team stands with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. He also brushed away the sportsmanship factor while responding to the question. “I feel a few things are ahead of sportsmanship. We stand with the families of Pahalgam. And also the brave armed forces during Operation Sindoor.
“We took a call as we came here to only play. We gave a proper reply. We are aligned with the BCCI and the government,” Surya said.
Suryakumar Yadav dedicates India’s win to Armed Forces
Suryakumar Yadav, the birthday boy, also won hearts by dedicating India’s win over Pakistan to the country’s brave armed forces. “Just wanted to say something. Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” Surya said in the post-match presentation.
Boycott calls were trending before IND vs PAK clash
Notably, there were several calls for Team India to boycott the clash against Pakistan. However, the Indian government had clarified its stance on the face-offs against Pakistan across all sports in multilateral events last month. However, the bilateral events with Pakistan remain banned.
“India’s approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country. So far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India. With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interests of our own sportspersons.
“To position India as a preferred destination for hosting international sporting events, the visa process for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified. In respect of office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies, a multi-entry visa shall be granted on priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years,” the statement from the Sports Ministry read.
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