Kumar Bahukhandi
Gautam Gambhir speaking to broadcaster after match against Pakistan-Photo BCCI
As per a report, the no-handshake gesture against Pakistan in the Asia Cup clash was India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s brainchild.
The India vs Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 failed to spark interest from the cricketing point of view as Suryakumar Yadav’s side completely overwhelmed the opponents on Sunday September 14, 2025 .
However, India captain Suryakumar’s decision to avoid shaking hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the rest of the players from the opponent team turned out to be a big talking point. There was no handshake between the two sets of players. Even when the Pakistan team walked up to the Indian dressing room, the doors were shut right in their faces.
Suryakumar was asked about the no-handshake decision later in the presentation ceremony and the press conference, where he explained that the gesture was an attempt to send Pakistan a message, keeping in mind the Pahalgam terror attack. However, it wasn’t the skipper who came up with the idea.
As per a report, it was head coach Gautam Gambhir who came up with the handshake snub idea. Gambhir reportedly advised the Indian players against engaging in a handshake with the Pakistani players and also asked them not to have any verbal exchanges with the archrivals, according to a report in Telecom Asia Sport.
The talks of ‘boycott’ ahead of the match had even entered the Indian dressing room, prompting the likes of Suryakumar and others to approach Gambhir and other members of the support staff with their concerns. Gambhir reportedly told the players to cut down on social media and just focus on playing the game.
“Cut down on social media, stop reading the noise. Your job is to play for India. Don’t forget what happened in Pahalgam. Don’t shake hands, don’t engage — just go out, show your best, and win for India,” Gambhir said, the report claimed.
Gambhi also spoke to the broadcaster of the Asia Cup 2025 in India about the game, echoing Suryakumar’s words on the importance of the no-handshake gesture. “Good win. There is still a lot of cricket left in this tournament. This match was important as we wanted to show solidarity with the victims and their families and what they went through during the Pahalgam attack. More importantly, we want to thank the Indian army for their successful Operation Sindoor. We will try to make our country proud and happy.”
Sunday’s clash wasn’t the only occasion that India and Pakistan came face-to-face in the Asia Cup 2025. The two teams are likely to face each other again in the Super 4 round. An encounter in the final of the tournament can’t be ruled out either.
