During Sunday’s toss of their pivotal Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai, India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands.
Before and after the coin toss, the two captains did not shake hands, make eye contact, or embrace amid political tension and calls to boycott the game. Salman Agha, the captain of Pakistan, won the toss and chose to bat. Both clubs played the crucial match with the same lineup.
Significant political animosity has existed between the two countries, especially after the Pahalgam terror assault in April 2025, in which militants massacred 26 civilians in the vicinity of Pahalgam in India’s Jammu & Kashmir.
They allegedly spoke with head coach Gautam Gambhir about how to best handle the issue amid several requests for Indian players to boycott the game.
The high-stakes match between India and Pakistan is their second encounter of 2025; earlier this year, the two teams faced off in the Champions Trophy in the ODI format. On that particular occasion, Virat Kohli hammered a century as India chased down a target of 242.
Both Virat Kohli and fellow veteran Rohit Sharma are not playing this time around because they have both retired from the T20I format.
It will be up to Suryakumar Yadav and his team to guide India in the 2025 Asia Cup. Pakistan won the 2022 Asia Cup Super-Four stage match when India and Pakistan last faced off in the T20I format.
India vs Pakistan in Group A will be crucial to the group’s outcome because the winner would virtually guarantee a spot in the Super Four.
