Asia Cup 2025: Shashi Tharoor Criticizes Indian Team For Avoiding Handshakes With Pakistan

Abdullah Hussain (@Abdulla99267510) Published September 26, 2025 | 07:43 PM

Shashi Tharoor, during interview with ANI, says sports should remain independent of political hostilities

NEW DEHLI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 26^th, 20255) With Pakistan and India set to face off in the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticized the Indian cricket team for avoiding handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts during the tournament.

In a conversation with ANI, Tharoor said sports should remain independent of political hostilities. “If we feel so strongly about Pakistan, we shouldn’t have agreed to play them at all. But once we choose to compete, we must uphold the spirit of the game and shake hands. Even in 1999, during the Kargil conflict, players from both sides followed this tradition,” he remarked.

The controversy surfaced after the high-stakes group-stage match when both teams skipped the customary handshake at the toss, reportedly on the advice of the match referee. India later won the encounter by seven wickets.

The matters escalated further when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav used his post-match presentation to make politically charged comments.

The Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) subsequently filed a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing Yadav of violating the game’s neutrality. The ICC later issued a formal reprimand to the Indian skipper for bringing politics into the sport.