Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema has officially lodged a protest against the Indian side’s conduct during the Asia Cup 2025 match, criticizing their refusal to shake hands as being against the spirit of sportsmanship.
Cheema said Pakistan’s response was “natural under the circumstances,” while head coach Mike Hesson also defended the team’s stance, calling it a justified reaction to the Indian players’ behavior.
Officials revealed that the match referee had advised captains not to shake hands at the toss, but Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha expressed his displeasure by boycotting the post-match ceremony in protest.
On the field, however, it was India who dominated. Chasing a modest target of 128, captain Suryakumar Yadav guided his side to a seven-wicket victory with an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls. He was supported by Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who both contributed 31 runs each. India wrapped up the chase in just 15.5 overs, finishing at 131-3 at the Dubai International Stadium.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub provided the only resistance with the ball, claiming all three wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 35 in his four overs. Earlier, Pakistan’s batting collapsed to 127-9 in 20 overs after electing to bat, struggling against India’s disciplined attack.
