Indian players of the Commonwealth Beach Handball Championship reportedly shook hands with their Pakistani counterparts and exchanged goodwill following their match at Kulhudhufushi in Maldives. The handshake controversy has dominated the news in the last few days after Indian cricketers snubbed it after demolishing Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 match at the Dubai International Stadium.
The incident between Indian and Pakistani cricket team took place after the Group Stage match on September 14, Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. After Suryakumar Yadav hit the winning six off Sufiyan Muqeem's bowling, he walked away alongside Shivam Dube to the dressing room. Pakistan cricket team were left red-faced by the gesture and their captain Salman Ali Agha refused to do the post-game presentation.
Later, Suryakumar explained the decision, claiming, 'Some things are above sportsmanship'. The right-handed batter also expressed their solidarity with the Indian armed forces for their efforts at the border amid Operation Sindoor launched by the government following the militant attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir that resulted in the loss of at least 26 lives.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Indian and Pakistani players shook hands after the latter's 2-0 win in the Handball match.
Indian cricketers could maintain the same stance against Pakistan in Asia Cup
The Indian cricketers, meanwhile, could maintain the same stance for their Super 4 game of Asia Cup against the arch-rivals. The two teams will meet on September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium, with India again starting as favourites due to their form along with the skilled and multi-faceted players at their disposal.
Pakistan made it to the Super 4 round of the tournament after defeating UAE in Dubai by 41 runs. The remaining two teams in the Super 4 stage are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
