Asia Cup 2025: Gautam Gambhir twists handshake rule, asks players to greet only umpires to leave Pakistan stunned

Published - 22 Sept 2025, 10:22 IST | Updated - 22 Sept 2025, 10:22 IST

The India–Pakistan handshake controversy took a fresh twist on September 21, refusing to die down even a week after it first erupted. This time, it was not the players or an ICC-appointed official in the spotlight, but India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Following India’s victory over Pakistan in their Super Four clash at the Dubai International Stadium, Gambhir issued a surprising directive, asking Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates to greet only the match officials after the game, snubbing Pakistan players once again.

Earlier, at the toss, Suryakumar had also avoided shaking hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha for the second time in a row, as he headed straight to Ravi Shastri for a chat before greeting match referee Andy Pycroft.

'IND vs PAK is not a rivalry anymore' - Suryakumar Yadav

At the end of the match, the customary handshake was again skipped. Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya, who guided India home with seven balls to spare, walked directly to the dressing room without acknowledging their Pakistan counterparts.

In an unusual twist, Gambhir was later seen instructing the Indian players to step back onto the field to greet the umpires. The squad then walked towards the Pakistan players but stopped short, shaking hands only with the officials before returning, leaving the opposition visibly puzzled.

Adding fuel to the storm, Gambhir took to Instagram after the game, posting pictures of Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and the rest of the Indian squad with a one-word caption: ‘Fearless’. The young opening pair had set the tone for India’s chase of 172, with Gill (47) and Abhishek (74) putting on a blistering 105-run stand off 59 balls, easing pressure on the middle order.

Looking ahead, India will face Bangladesh on Wednesday, September 24, while Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, September 23. A win for India against Bangladesh would all but seal their place in the final on September 28 in Dubai, whereas Pakistan must overcome Sri Lanka to keep their qualification hopes alive. Earlier, in the Super Four, Bangladesh stunned Sri Lanka with a four-wicket win on September 20.