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India-Pakistan No Handshake Saga: The controversy surrounding the absence of handshakes between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025 has resurfaced, with the latter's captain, Salman Ali Agha, offering fresh insight into the episode that drew widespread attention. The incident, which occurred amid heightened political tensions following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, saw India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team refrain from customary pre and post-match gestures with their Pakistani counterparts.

Agha Recalls Pre-Toss Instructions

Salman Ali Agha relieved about India vs Pakistan handshake controversy:

Before the match, there was a press conference and a trophy shoot, and there was a handshake there too. So when I was going for the toss, I was pretty normal. I said, “Obviously, I had an idea that things… pic.twitter.com/zImpcx7pG1

— TEJASH (@Tejashyyyyy) May 2, 2026

Detailing his experience in a recent interview, Agha explained that he was unaware of the no-handshake protocol until shortly before the toss.

"I went for the toss. Before that, there was a press conference. There was a shake-hand, trophy shoot, there was a handshake, When I was going for the toss, I was pretty normal. Obviously, I had an idea that it wouldn't be that normal, but I didn't know there would be no handshake. I didn't have that idea."

He further revealed that the decision was communicated to him by officials moments before proceedings began.

"I went for the toss with our media manager, Naeem Bhai, the match referee, I don't remember his name, he took me aside and said, 'We're going to do it like this. There won't be a handshake.' So, please look at that. I said, 'It's fine if there's not going to be a handshake. I am not too keen either.' So, this is what happened. He told me beforehand that there won't be a handshake."

India and Pakistan faced each other twice more during the tournament, with the Indian team maintaining the same approach on each occasion.

IND-PAK No Handshake Saga Fallout

The decision not to engage in handshakes quickly became a talking point among cricket followers and analysts, raising questions about the intersection of sport and geopolitics. India’s stance was widely viewed as a reflection of national sentiment in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

The situation took another turn after India’s Asia Cup triumph. The team declined to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who was not only the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief but also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and the country’s Interior Minister. Prior to the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup final, he had uploaded a video on social media promoting Pakistan’s unverified claims of downing Indian military jets.

In an unusual development, Naqvi departed with the trophy, which has yet to be handed over to the winning team.

India’s refusal to participate in handshakes did not end with the Asia Cup. The same stance was carried forward into subsequent tournaments, including the ICC T20 World Cup and the Women’s ODI World Cup, signalling a consistent approach by Indian cricket teams across formats.