India thrashed Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, but it wasn’t just the runs and wickets that caused drama — a missed handshake sparked a fiery meltdown.
When Handshakes Become Headlines
In cricket, handshakes are usually more ceremonial than spicy. But when India outplayed Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, the drama didn’t end with the scoreboard. Nope, it spilled over into handshake politics. Yes, you read that right — not shaking hands turned into a post-match masala that had ex-cricketers in Pakistan huffing, puffing, and demanding ICC action.
Apparently, beating Pakistan by 7 wickets wasn’t enough — India had to break their hearts with a “no-handshake special.
India vs Pakistan: The Match in Numbers
Let’s keep the numbers short, sweet, and slightly salty (pun intended):
- Pakistan’s Batting Woes: They put up 129 runs in 20 overs, losing 9 wickets.
- India’s Bowling Heroes: Kuldeep Yadav grabbed 3 wickets. Bumrah and Axar Patel picked 2 each. Varun Chakravarthy and Hardik Pandya added one each.
- India’s Batting Bosses: Surya (47 off 37) was the star, while Abhishek Sharma (31), Tilak Varma (31), Gill (10), and Shivam Dube (10) chipped in.
- Result: India chased down the target in just 15.5 overs. Comfortable? More like a stroll in Dubai’s evening breeze.
See official Asia Cup match stats here
The Drama: No Handshake, No Peace
Post-match, as Indian players skipped shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts — reportedly as a tribute to Pahalgam martyrs — the cricketing world tilted from bats to banter.
- Toss time? Same thing. Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha skipped the handshake too.
- Post-match? The Indian team went straight indoors.
Pakistan’s ex-cricketers? They didn’t take it lightly. Rashid Latif, former captain and now professional complainer, called it a “deliberate insult.” He even wanted ICC to intervene.
One could almost imagine ICC officials sighing: “We already deal with slow over rates and DRS dramas, now we need a handshake department too?”
Rashid Latif’s Rant Show
Latif didn’t just stop at pointing fingers. On a TV show, he thundered:
Our players went, but Indian players deliberately avoided handshakes. ICC must take action. Even our chairman should intervene.
Translation: We lost the match, let’s win the sympathy league.
Honestly, Latif’s meltdown could be Netflix-worthy. Imagine the title: Handshake Heist: The Untold Saga of Asia Cup 2025.
India vs Pakistan Rivalry: More Than Runs
Let’s not kid ourselves. India vs Pakistan isn’t just cricket. It’s Bollywood-level drama. One no-ball here, one handshake there, and you’ve got headlines hotter than a street-side samosa.
Every small gesture is magnified:
- No handshake? It’s “insult.”
- Extra celebration? “Disrespect.”
- Smiling too much? “Mockery.”
- Not smiling? “Arrogance.”
Meanwhile, fans on both sides flood Twitter (oops, X) with hashtags that trend faster than Virat Kohli’s cover drives.
The Match Recap (Spiced Up Edition)
Here’s a witty retelling, Nokjhok-style:
- Toss: Pakistan won. Decision? Bat first. Translation: “Let’s give India a warm-up.”
- First Innings: Pakistan tried their best but ended up tangled like earphones in your pocket. 129 runs in 20 overs. Meh.
- Indian Bowling: Kuldeep spun webs. Bumrah bowled fireballs. Axar and Varun added spice. Hardik Pandya did Hardik Pandya things.
- Second Innings: India came out like they were chasing samosa discounts at the fair. Abhishek Sharma smashed. Surya shone like a Diwali rocket. Tilak Varma calmly added runs. Target achieved in under 16 overs.
Result? A 7-wicket thumping. And no, no handshake at the end.
Why Pakistan’s Meltdown Feels Familiar
If you’ve followed India vs Pakistan long enough, you know this cycle:
- India wins convincingly.
- Pakistan media goes into blame-game mode.
- Ex-players make dramatic TV statements.
- Fans turn handshake/no-ball/sledging into national debates.
- Repeat at the next match.
This time, the handshake became the scapegoat. As if 129 runs weren’t the real problem.
Authority Check: What Does ICC Say?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) actually has no mandatory rule on post-match handshakes. It’s considered sportsmanship, not a law.
ICC’s official code of conduct covers player behavior, respect for umpires, and avoiding dissent — but nowhere does it say “Thou shalt shake hands.”
So technically, India broke no rules. At worst, it was a cold shoulder, not a crime.
The Bigger Picture
India’s victory was about cricketing dominance. But headlines got hijacked by emotions. And here’s the truth:
- India was tactically superior.
- Pakistan underperformed, especially with the bat.
- The handshake snub just added extra masala for TV debates.
Sometimes, off-field controversies overshadow the real game. This was one such occasion.
Forget the runs and wickets. The highlight of Asia Cup 2025 wasn’t Surya’s 47 or Kuldeep’s 3 wickets. It was… drumroll… a missed handshake.
Only in India vs Pakistan cricket can “hand not shaken” make more noise than “ball well bowled.”
Cricket fans, what’s your take? Should handshakes be mandatory, or are they just overhyped gestures?
💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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📌 And don’t forget to check our related post: “IND vs PAK: Kuldeep’s Spin & Abhishek’s Tsunami Smash Pakistan”
