After defeating Pakistan by seven wickets in what was a one-sided match on Sunday, team India stirred a controversy not with their performance, but with what followed.
In a move that appeared performative and unnecessary, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. This left Pakistan’s players awkwardly waiting at the boundary.
The gesture, or lack thereof, came off as pretentious, aimed more at pacifying public outrage. It wasn’t defiance. It was theatrics. It was immature. It was humiliating sportsmanship.
The backlash was already mounting. Just months after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the massacre, the Indian team’s participation in the 2025 Asia Cup sparked public outrage on social media.
Many questioned the BCCI’s decision to go ahead with the match, accusing the board of prioritising money over national sentiment.
The BCCI defended its move, citing the Asia Cup’s multinational nature, comparing it to the Olympics or FIFA tournaments.
“We cannot boycott the multinational tournament because if we boycott this tournament, that will bring a lot of negativity for all our future endeavours of hosting any multinational tournament in the country,” said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
But, cricket fans weren’t convinced. Hence, for the first time in years, an India vs Pakistan game wasn’t sold out.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of 25,000 seats, was only 75 per cent full, indicating the low fan turnout for one of the most anticipated rivalries in cricket.
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Off-field drama
If only live matches had a fast-forward option, I would have skipped from the toss straight to the post-match presentation.
The real entertainment wasn’t on the field because the match itself was forgettable. India first bundled out Pakistan for 127 before chasing it down in just 15.5 overs. The neighbours once again showed up with their outdated brand of cricket and never for even an over showed dominance in the game.
But later, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan coach Mike Hesson’s press conferences outperformed the 35.5 overs of subpar cricket — in the entertainment they offered.
At the toss as well, Yadav avoided shaking hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha. Later, Agha skipped the post-match presentation. Meanwhile, Yadav, during his post-match presentation, defended his actions by claiming, “Some things in life are ahead of sportsmanship.”
Hesson confirmed his team’s disappointment. He said that Agha’s absence was a direct result of the Indian team’s behaviour.
So, India chose to play. But instead of standing firmly behind that decision, they opted for a half-hearted display of nationalism.
If patriotism truly ran deep, the team could have pulled out of the tournament, regardless of the loss they would have incurred.
But once the decision to play was made, professionalism and sportsmanship should have followed. The spirit of the game should have been respected.
Their display of selective patriotism was unnecessary.
So yes, India won the match, congratulations on that. But when it came to upholding the spirit of the game, they dropped the ball.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)