Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the Indian cricket team for refusing to shake hands with Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025, ahead of their final on Sunday, September 28.
Speaking to ANI, Tharoor urged that politics be kept out of sports. Tharoor emphasised cricket’s spirit, saying, “If we feel strongly about Pakistan, we shouldn’t play them. But if we play, we should shake hands.” He cited the 1999 World Cup, where players shook hands despite the Kargil War. “Sport shouldn’t be entangled with conflict,” he added.
Tensions flared during the India-Pakistan group stage match on September 14. Both teams skipped the traditional handshake at the toss, reportedly on the match referee’s advice. India won by seven wickets, but captain Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match political remarks drew criticism.
#WATCH | "I personally feel that once the decision had been made to play, if we feel so strongly about Pakistan, we should not have played…But if we are going to play them, we should play in the spirit of a game, and we should have shaken their hands…We have done this before… pic.twitter.com/6luy8Gyt6i
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2025The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a complaint, accusing Yadav of violating the ICC’s code of conduct on neutrality. The ICC formally reprimanded him for politicising cricket, as reported by ESPNcricinfo on September 26.
Read: India Captain Suryakumar Yadav Found Guilty of ICC Code of Conduct Breach
The handshake snub and Yadav’s remarks, viewed by 70% of the India-Pakistan match audience (Nielsen, 2024), fuel the debate on sportsmanship amid geopolitical tensions. Tharoor’s call for fairness resonates as the teams head into the final, a historic first for the Asia Cup.
Shashi Tharoor’s critique of India’s handshake refusal underscores the importance of sportsmanship in cricket. As Pakistan and India face off in the Asia Cup 2025 final, the controversy lingers.
