15 Sep 2025 : In the 1,299 days since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian tennis player, has steadfastly refused to shake the hand of any Russian or Belarussian opponent. It’s her way of registering her protest at what’s happening in her homeland. Some five months after she first ignored the outstretched hand of a rival from one of these two aforementioned nations, the Women’s Tennis Association, the principal organising body of women’s professional tennis, issued a statement: “Due to the ongoing reprehensible war, the WTA respects the position of the Ukrainian athletes in foregoing the tradition of shaking opponents’ hands (from Russia and Belarus) at the end of a match.”
The 31-year-old former world No. 3 would have approved of India’s decision not to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts before or after Sunday’s T20 Asia Cup match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Suryakumar Yadav studiedly stayed away from Salman Agha at the toss, neither exchanging team sheets nor making eye contact with his Pakistani counterpart. Some three and three-quarter hours later, after he slog-swept Sufian Muqeem for the six that heralded his team’s comprehensive seven-wicket victory, India’s captain whirled towards the dressing-room, walking away with teammate Shivam Dube without shaking hands with the Pakistani players.
Just days previously, on Tuesday, at a pre-tournament press conference involving the skippers of all eight participating teams, Suryakumar had undertaken that formality with Mohsin Naqvi, the new chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Then, as he departed the stage, he also shook Agha’s hand, though there was no exchange of even basic pleasantries. That set in motion a chain of events back in India, culminating in growing calls for the boycott of the match in protest against the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the tragic death of 26 innocents.
Handshakes in sport aren’t a rule; they are more a convention, a sign of respect and sportsmanship, indicative of the truism that while matches might be no-holds-barred, there is no personal animosity between the protagonists. By refraining from indulging in that token gesture, India have made it clear that they are no longer fussed about friendships with their Pakistani opponents, that they are dictated by a moral code that has clearly emanated from those well above the players’ paygrade.
After Suryakumar and Dube exited for the Indian dressing-room, Pakistan’s players started to make a beeline in that direction, only to realise that the Indians didn’t have the slight inclination to reciprocate their desire for convention. In a reactive protest, Agha refused to attend the post-match presentation ceremony during which both captains usually share their thoughts with the host broadcaster. The PCB also registered a formal protest through their manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, against match referee Andy Pycroft who, it claimed, had ‘requested the captains not to shake hands at the toss’.
When he walked out to address the media at the conclusion of the match, Suryakumar would have been well aware that explanations would be sought for India’s ‘no handshake’ policy. “Our government and BCCI, we were aligned today. Rest, we took a call,” the captain, who turned 35 on Sunday, explained. “We came here just to play the game. That’s the end. We gave a proper reply.”
Specifically asked if the gesture (or the lack of it) was politically motivated, a composed and in-control Suryakumar, looking relaxed despite the high-stress scenario, replied, “A few things in life are ahead of sportsperson’s spirit also. I said in the presentation as well that we stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. And we stand with their families also, express our solidarity. We dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor. And as they continue to inspire us all, we try our best whenever given an opportunity to inspire them as well, if possible.”
The events at the end of the match were in keeping with the total lack of engagement between players from the two sides at any stage of the match. There was no exchange of words, no ‘sledging’, no sendoffs; wickets were celebrated with gusto, but only within the confines of the fielding side, and rival players barely looked at each other, let alone smile or have even the slightest conversation. The closest anyone came to an interaction was when non-striker Faheem Ashraf picked up a stray ball with no Indian fielder nearby and tossed it to bowler Kuldeep Yadav.
India’s handshake snub has evidently raised Pakistan’s hackles, as is apparent from Agha’s no-show at the presentation and the PCB’s official protest against Pycroft. Between these two developments, coach Mike Hesson said at the press conference, “We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game. We are disappointed the opposition did not do that. It was a disappointing way for the match to finish. We were willing to go and shake hands. It (Agha skipping the presentation) was a flow-on effect from the fact that we were keen to engage at the end of the match. That was pretty much the end of it.”
Clearly, the last has not been said or heard of in this episode. In some ways, it is incumbent upon the BCCI to throw some light on how the events of Sunday evening unfolded. Clearly, all decisions were made in the upper echelons of power within the BCCI, and it will be unfair to throw Suryakumar and his teammates under the bus for merely following instructions.
Summary : Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav revealed he didn’t personally plan avoiding a handshake with Pakistan players, stressing the decision was directed by BCCI and the Indian government amid tense relations.