Pakistan captain Salman Agha skipped the post-match presentation ceremony after his team’s seven-wicket loss to India in their Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash on Sunday, September 14, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the sole Pakistani representative at the presentation, where he received an award for hitting the most sixes in the match.
According to reports, Salman’s absence came in response to Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav declining the customary handshake before the match. Although the two captains stood together during the toss conducted by Ravi Shastri, they did not exchange handshakes either before or after the game.
Following the result, Pakistani players walked out in a line, but the Indian players were not visible on the field. The match had already been surrounded by controversy, with some calling for a boycott due to ongoing political tensions—especially after the Pahalgam attack in April.
Suryakumar later justified his team’s stance, saying that choosing not to shake hands with the Pakistani players was intended as a ‘proper reply’ following the attack.
“Our government and BCCI, we were aligned together. The rest, we came here, we took a call. I feel we came here just to play the game. I think we gave them a proper reply,” Suryakumar said in the post-match press conference.
“Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit. We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and we stand with their families. As I said, we dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor,” Suryakumar added.
Pakistan Coach Hesson Criticizes India for Skipping Post-Match Handshake
Hesson, who recently assumed the role of Pakistan’s head coach, expressed his disappointment at the Indian team for heading directly to their dressing room after the match without participating in the traditional post-match handshake.
“Well, look — we were obviously ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We were disappointed that our opponents didn’t do the same. We went over to shake hands, but they had already headed into the changing rooms,” Hesson said.
“It was a disappointing way for the match to finish — not just because of that, but also because we were disappointed with how we played. That said, we were absolutely willing to shake hands,” Hesson added.
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