No handshake between India and Pakistan captains ahead of Asia Cup Super Four match

By Canadian Press on September 21, 2025.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — There was no handshake between India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Agha ahead of their teams’ Super 4 cricket match in the Asia Cup on Sunday.

India won the toss and chose to bowl.

Pakistan’s midweek game against the United Arab Emirates was delayed by an hour in the fallout over Indian players refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players both at the toss and after a Group A match on Sept. 14. Pakistan proceeded to play UAE after claiming match referee Andy Pycroft had apologized for the “miscommunication” at the game against India.

Pycroft is again the ICC’s appointed match referee for Sunday’s Super 4 match.

The group game was the first between the India and Pakistan cricket teams since the Pahalgam attack in April, when gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

India is the designated host of the eight-nation Asia Cup, but the Twenty20 tournament is being played in the UAE because the India and Pakistan cricket teams don’t play on each other’s territory.

Suryakumar has previously said that the Indian team was aligned with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and government instructions that players wouldn’t shake hands with Pakistan players.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press