Is there really a handshake rule in cricket? BCCI official breaks silence amid India–Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 row

Devansh Poddar

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Is there really a handshake rule in cricket? BCCI official breaks silence amid India–Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 row image

(getty)

As the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 game concluded, the match made headlines for all the drama that unfolded post the encounter when Team India refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players.

India handed a crushing defeat to Pakistan by 7 wickets in their second league game of the continental tournament. To make things worse for the Men in Green, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side avoided shaking hands with their opponent.

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The no-handshake between the sides created a lot of debate and controversy, with many questioning India's sportsman spirit. PCB even launched an official complaint against the match referee, Andy Pycroft, stating that he failed to uphold the spirit of the game.

A top BCCI official has now weighed in with his opinion on the issue, as he remarked that there is no official rule that states that a handshake is mandatory post a game.

BCCI official opens up on the handshake controversy between India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan faced off in a war-like situation earlier this year. The worsening relations between the two nations started after the Pahalgham terror attack, which took away several lives.

Team India, as a protest and to express their solidarity with the brave soldiers and the victims, decided to avoid any kind of gestures with the Pakistani players, including a no-handshake policy. 

India's gesture did not go well with the Pakistani side, as the PCB was said to be fuming over the controversy. The board's chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, even lodged an official complaint to the ICC asking for the removal of the match referee.

More: 'Pakistan lacks quality to challenge India' - Shoaib Akhtar's verdict after latest IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 defeat

A BCCI official has now chipped in with his remarks, stating:

"Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention, not a law that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum," said the BCCI official via PTI.

There is no official mention of a handshake post the game in the MCC or the ICC rule book. While sportsmanship spirit is an integral part of the law, it does not state that shaking hands between teams is mandatory. 

"If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of a strained relationship," added the official. 

While the Government and the BCCI gave a green signal to the side to play the game against Pakistan, the gestures of the side clearly suggested that the team was there only to play the game and fulfill their obligations, and they had no intentions to get along with the Pakistani players. 

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Devansh Poddar

Devansh Poddar is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition.