NEW DELHI: The Asia Cup 2025 concludes on Sunday with a blockbuster final between the two arch-rivals India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. The highly anticipated clash promises drama, intensity, and high stakes as both teams compete for the coveted title.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has not forgotten the controversy surrounding the handshake incidents in the earlier stages of the tournament. During the group-stage match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart after the match and also skipped the customary post-match handshake. The no-handshake drama continued in the Super 4 encounter, with Indian players leaving the field after victory and only exchanging handshakes with the umpires.Ahead of the final, Agha addressed the issue, emphasising that such actions set a poor precedent for the spirit of the game. “As far as handshakes are concerned, I’ve been playing professional cricket since 2007 at the under-16 level. I’ve never seen two teams not shaking hands during a match. Even my father is a big cricket fan, and I’ve heard stories about the game from him. He never mentioned that two teams playing cricket didn’t shake hands. India and Pakistan have faced each other before, even when relations between the countries were worse, and handshakes always happened. According to me, no handshakes are not good for cricket,” said Agha in the pre-match press conference.Despite the controversy, Agha remained focused on the game. “We don’t focus on what we can’t control. Media talk, outside noise—we ignore it. Our goal is the Asia Cup. We came here to play good cricket, and tomorrow we’ll aim to win the final,” he added.Agha also expressed confidence in his team’s chances, stating, “Inshallah, you’ll see us winning. If we play our best cricket and execute for 40 overs, we can beat any team.”
