IND vs PAK: Suryakumar Yadav, Salman Agha avoid customary handshake at toss once again
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha avoided the customary handshake at the coin toss during their Asia Cup Super Fours match in Dubai on Sunday.
During the group stage match last week, Suryakumar’s decision to decline a handshake at the toss had sparked a controversy. India later walked off the field after the conclusion of the game, avoiding the customary handshakes with the Pakistan players.
Agha then did not attend the post-match presentation. The Pakistan Cricket Board also lodged a complaint with the ICC against the match referee Andy Pycroft, claiming that he did not allow the two captains to shake hands.
It threatened to boycott its game against UAE, demanding Pycroft be removed from duty during the Asia Cup. The side, however, played the game after a meeting was arranged with the Zimbabwean match referee, where he reportedly apologised to Pakistan.
ICC too cleared Pycroft of any wrongdoing, stating that he merely conveyed India’s decision to not shake hands to Pakistan. He was named the match referee again for the Super Fours match between these sides.
Published on Sep 21, 2025
