The India and Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash invited post-match drama after the Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts, owing to the recent tensions between the two nations. India have avoided any friendly interaction with Pakistan. But what if they win the Asia Cup?
The India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match had much more than cricket to talk about as the two arch-rivals met each other for the first time since the recent military confrontation between the two nations.ย
The Indian government had given a go-ahead to the multi-national clashes between India and Pakistan, and despite calls of boycott from some quarters in India, the match went ahead, and the Indian team comprehensively won the game after chasing down 128 with seven wickets in hand.ย
The Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts, with India skipper Suryakumar Yadav avoiding the greeting at the toss first. After finishing the match with a six, he and non-striker Shivam Dube went straight away to the dressing room.
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha did not attend the post-match presentation, and the Pakistan Cricket Board lodged a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council regarding the Indian players’ actions.ย
Meanwhile, the PCB has also demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, who they claim asked Salman not to shake hands with Surya at the toss. “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a social media post on Monday.
Moreover, according to a report in Cricbuzz, Pakistan have also threatened to boycott their next match against the UAE if Pycroft is not removed.
Meanwhile, as India look to boycott any interaction with Pakistan, a big question arises whether the team will take the Asia Cup trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chairman and is serving as the Interior Minister of Pakistan.ย
As per a report in news agency PTI, “it is reliably learnt that if India make the tournament’s final on September 28 (and win it), the players won’t be sharing the presentation dais with Naqvi, who is expected to hand over the winner’s trophy as ACC head.”
This makes things completely confusing, as if the Men in Blue win the continental title, how will they receive their trophy? The present looks chaotic, and the answer lies in the future.