• Source:JND
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India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan's head coach Mike Hesson was left fuming after the Indian players refused to shake hands with his players after the conclusion of the Asia Cup 2025 Group A tie at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

India made it two out of two in the tournament, beating their arch-rivals Pakistan by 7 wickets as they chased down the 128-run target in 15.5 overs. However, the match concluded on an unsavoury note as Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube rushed back to their dressing room after the winning runs were hit.

There was no customary handshake between the players of the two teams. Once Suryakumar and Dube returned to their dressing room, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Hesson approached the Indian camp, but no player came out for any kind of friendly interaction.

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Hesson, who was visibly annoyed by this snub, said that his players were ready for the handshakes but they made their way back once no player from the Indian dressing room came out. "Obviously, we were ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We were disappointed that our opposition didn't do that. We went over there to shake hands, and they'd already gone into the changing room," Hesson said in the post-match press conference.

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"That was a disappointing way for the match to finish. We were disappointed in the way we played, but certainly were willing to go and shake hands," he added.

Notably, this was the first cricket match between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam Terror Attack and Operation Sindoor. Ahead of the match, there were call from several parts of India to boycott the Pakistan game in a tribute to the victims of the attack. After the win against Pakistan, India captain Suryakumar dedicated the win to the Indian Armed Forces as he stated that his team stands in solidarity with the families who lost someone in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Mike Hesson went on to talk about Pakistan's performance in the all-important fixture and acknowledged that they were "outplayed" on Sunday.

"We were outplayed today," Hesson said at the press conference. "I don't think we can hide from that. We didn't bat well enough. We left ourselves probably 20 or 30 [runs] short, and we all know through those middle overs we got squeezed. Lots to work on against a good bowling attack, but I was pleased the way the guys fought hard in the field, albeit with a score that wasn't enough."