The match ended the same way it began, with no handshake. India captain Suryakumar Yadav hit spinner Sufiyan Muqeem for a slog sweep to secure a clear seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai during the Asia Cup on Sunday. He finished unbeaten on 47 off 37 balls and walked off without shaking hands with Pakistan’s players or their captain. The match started with both Yadav and Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, not making any effort to shake hands or greet each other at the toss.
India team dedicated win to Pahalgam Attack
Yadav later mentioned the Pahalgam terror attack and dedicated the victory to the Armed Forces. He said, “We stand with the families of victims of the Pahalgam attack. We express our solidarity, and we want to dedicate today’s win to the Armed Forces,” in a interview after the match.
This was the first India-Pakistan cricket match since the Pahalgam terror attack in April. India launched Operation Sindoor against terrorist targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan in May. Following this, both countries exchanged strikes for three days before ending hostilities.
No handshake between rivals teams
Sunday’s match will be remembered more for what didn’t happen than for what did. The lack of a handshake is in the headlines instead of India’s skilled spinners, who crafted the victory, or the calm batsmen who led them past the target. India’s best spinners held Pakistan to 127. Abhishek Sharma got them off to a fast start, making the outcome feel obvious.
The climax may lose significance over time, but the absence of a handshake will not. Yadav decided against a handshake the morning of the game. He shared his choice with the India team a few hours before the match but left it up to each player to decide whether to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents.
Read also: Pahalgam Victims’ Families Lead Boycott of India-Pakistan Asia Cup Clash in Dubai