Under-19 Asia Cup: India maintain 'no-handshake' policy with Pakistan
What's the story
In a continuation of the no-handshake policy in India-Pakistan cricket clashes, captains Ayush Mhatre (India) and Farhan Yousuf (Pakistan) kept their distance during the toss for the 2025 ICC Under-19 Asia Cup match in Dubai on Sunday. As expected, the latest move comes amid the ongoing political tensions between the two nations. According to a PTI report, the ICC wanted the ongoing U-19 competition to be away from politics.
Policy continuation
BCCI's stance on no-handshake policy
The BCCI has continued its no-handshake policy in matches against Pakistan during other tournaments as well, including the ICC Women's World Cup and the Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournament. It all started when the Suryakumar Yadav-led India refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistan counterparts during the Men's T20 Asia Cup this year. A recent PTI report revealed that the ICC wanted to keep politics out of Under-19 cricket and had urged India to break its no-handshake stance.
Match referee
Response to BCCI's decision
The ICC left the decision to continue the policy up to the BCCI, but said that if they were going ahead with it, then the match referee should be informed in advance. On Sunday, India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre kept a distance from his Pakistani counterpart during the toss. After Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf won the toss and elected to field first, Mhatre stood behind him without offering a handshake.
History
How the Handshake snub started
The handshake snub during the Men's Asia Cup was led by India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who deliberately skipped shaking hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Agha. This was done as a mark of respect for the victims of the April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people and resulted in an India-Pakistan tussle. The political climate between the two countries has remained tense since then, further straining their cricketing relations.