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India-Pakistan Asia Cup final: Will there be a handshake?
The rivals have already met twice in this tournament, their first since heightened military and diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year
- PUBLISHED: Sat 27 Sept 2025, 11:50 AM UPDATED: Sat 27 Sept 2025, 12:17 PM
India and Pakistan are set to face each other in the Asia Cup final for the first time ever, with friction building on and off the field.
The rivals have already met twice in this tournament, their first since heightened military and diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. Both encounters were marked by frayed tempers.
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Tensions began rising after their opening match, when the Indian team declined the customary post-match handshake, citing solidarity with the Indian armed forces and victims of the Pahalgam attack, which killed at least 26 people.
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In response, Pakistan’s captain skipped the post-match presentation and his team limited media interactions.
Their second meeting brought no thaw. Neither captain shook hands at the toss, and players again avoided the traditional handshakes at the end of the game, a gesture widely seen as a sign of sportsmanship.
As the two sides prepare for Sunday’s final in Dubai, it remains to be seen whether they will exchange handshakes at the title decider.
The International Cricket Council has already fined players from both teams for breaches of the Code of Conduct, including Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf, and batter Sahibzada Farhan, following incidents in earlier matches.
