In a one-sided affair at the Asia Cup 2025, India thrashed Pakistan comprehensively to register their second victory of the tournament.
The game, however, made headlines for many more reasons. Team India declined post-match handshakes with Pakistan. Moreover, Suryakumar Yadav had also avoided the customary handshake with his counterpart.
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This was seen as India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed innocent lives earlier this year.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has now backed Yadav's decision to refuse to shake hands with his counterpart.
Sunil Gavaskar backs Suryakumar Yadav over handshake controversy
It was the first time India faced Pakistan in a sporting event since what transpired in Pahalgam earlier in April. The neighbouring nations faced off in a war-like situation as their diplomatic relations deteriorated, sparking widespread outrage.
There were speculations that India might boycott the game; however, as per the directives of the BCCI and the government, Team India went ahead with the game and handed Pakistan a crushing defeat.
Gavaskar backed Suryakumar’s decision to avoid handshakes after the clash.
"Sports and politics have never been separate - you only need to look back over the years to see that. I wouldn't criticise someone for taking that stance, and I wouldn't want to get into a debate about it," Gavaskar told India Today.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken an aggressive stance over the instance. The board has officially lodged a complaint to the ICC against the match referee, Andy Pycroft, asking for his removal from the Asia Cup panel.
'Need to look back over the years to see...': Sunil Gavaskar's blunt take on Suryakumar Yadav's decision not to shake hands with Pakistan team during Asia Cup 2025 clash#SuryakumarYadav #SunilGavaskar #AsiaCup2025 https://t.co/EX6qlliHkG
— Sports Tak (@sports_tak) September 15, 2025
The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, stated in his statement that the man from Zimbabwe has violated the ICC and MCC laws as he failed to uphold the spirit of the game.
"I don't know exactly what happened on the field or whether words were exchanged, but if an individual decides not to shake hands, they are perfectly within their rights to do so," Gavaskar added.
The whole handshake controversy created a lot of buzz on social media. While the majority of the Indian fans believed that India should have refused to play the match in the first place, they have largely supported the actions of their side and Yadav after the game.