India on Sunday defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at the Asia Cup in Dubai. But beyond the result, the match stirred controversy as the Indian team openly ignored sportsmanship traditions – heading back to the dressing room without shaking hands before or after the match.
As per the details, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha at the time of the toss. Hours later, the entire Indian squad left the field without greeting Pakistani players at the end of the game.
While the behaviour was said to be rooted in pressure from Indian public to boycott the match due to military tensions between the two countries in May, Yadav admitted in a press conference that the action was meant to send Pakistan a “clear message” and remind them of the terror attack in Pahalgam – an attack for which India had blamed Pakistan despite the country’s offer for an independent probe, ultimately leading to the clashes.
With Yadav also saying that the snub was not his idea, Indian media reported that head coach Gautam Gambhir had instructed players to not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.
Report further said that Gambhir also advised his team to avoid any verbal exchanges with the opposition.
While the move receives mixed reactions, Pakistanis and the global community have both urged India to avoid mixing politics with sports.
The Indian team has also been slammed for going against the spirit of the game.