India didn’t shake hands with Pakistan or match officials after win: report

A report says India did not just skip handshakes with Pakistan players after the Asia Cup match in Dubai; they also didn’t shake hands with the match officials. The players went straight to the dressing room after sealing a seven‑wicket win. This was part of a planned gesture linked to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India had informed the match referee, Andy Pycroft, before the game that there would be no handshakes. During the toss, Pycroft also told Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to approach Suryakumar Yadav for a handshake. After the match, the Pakistan players waited on the field, but the Indian team walked off. The referee, who was waiting near the boundary, was reportedly ignored as well.

The Pakistan board has called the move “unsportsmanlike” and has lodged an official protest with the tournament authorities. India’s captain said the gesture was a tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and a show of support to the armed forces. The matter may be reviewed by officials, but handshakes are a convention, not a written law, so any action will depend on the event’s code and the governing bodies’ view.

What happens next will likely depend on video review and formal reports from both teams and the referee. If the sides meet again later in the tournament, the same stance could continue unless guidance changes.