Calls of boycott, ban on India after 'no-handshake' ruins victory against Pakistan

Published: 01:09 PM, 15 Sep, 2025
Sports
Calls of boycott, ban on India after 'no-handshake' ruins victory against Pakistan
Caption: Video grab

What could have been an incredible victory against arch-rival Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai was turned into a garbage by none other by the Indians themselves by refusing to shake hands with the greenshirts, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The cerebrations were soon eclipsed by tensions simmered after the match as India's players left the field without shaking hands on Sunday.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav defended the snub in his post-match press conference, saying that the team were "aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India" in not shaking hands with the Pakistan team.

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi flayed the lack of sportsmanship by the Indian players.

In a post uploaded on X platform, Naqvi said “Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Let’s hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace.”

 

Pakistan's head coach Mike Hesson told reporters he was "disappointed" with the Indian team's decision. "We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game," the New Zealander said. "We are disappointed that the opposition did not do that. We went over there and they were already gone to the changing room, so that was obviously a disappointing way to finish the match."

Suryakumar, in the post-match presentation, said India took the match against Pakistan as "just another game" and dedicated the win to the Indian army.

"We stand with the victims of the families of the Pahalgam attack and we express our solidarity," Suryakumar said. "We want to dedicate today's win to the armed forces."

Pakistan's team management issued a statement after the clash to say that they had "lodged a protest with match referee Andy Pycroft after the match".

"The behaviour of Indian players was against the spirit of sportsmanship," the statement added. "That is why skipper (Salman) Agha was not sent to the post-match ceremony."

But the real criticism of the Indian team was witnessed on social media where netizens including Indians roasted them for ruining a remarkable victory by their pathetic “no handshake” action.

There were numerous calls for boycotting India and banning them from the world of cricket, maintaining they could not reverse the loss of six aircraft in conflict with Pakistan last May by resorting to unsportsmanship-like conduct.

Following are some reactions on X platform:

 

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