Overview:
Suryakumar also didn't shake hands with Salman during the toss ceremony. After the match, the Men in Green lined up to shake hands, but the Indian players had already returned to the dressing room.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson spoke about the reason behind captain Salman Agha’s decision to skip the post-match presentation ceremony after India defeated the arch-rivals by 7 wickets in the Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025.
Hesson said that the decision was due to the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and the other Indian players refusing to shake hands with the Pakistan players.
“It was an effect of what happened on the field. We wanted to shake hands after the match, but it didn’t happen, and that was the end of it,” Hesson said.
There were calls to boycott the match following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Suryakumar also didn’t shake hands with Salman during the toss ceremony. After the match, the Men in Green lined up to shake hands, but the Indian players had already returned to the dressing room.
Hesson didn’t like the move and expressed disappointment that the Indian team went back without the post-match handshake.
“We were there to shake hands at the end of the game, but were left disappointed with the act of our rivals. They headed back to their change room,” he added.
“It was disappointing not just because of what happened but also because of how we played. That said, we were willing to shake hands.”
Pakistan will face the UAE in their final group match on September 17 in Dubai.