India and Pakistan footballers do what cricketers refused to do

India and Pakistan may have been involved in several handshake controversies in cricket recently, but football witnessed a completely different scene on Thursday.

Players from both countries shook hands before and after India's thrilling 3–2 victory over Pakistan in their SAFF Championship opener in Dhaka on November 5.

The gesture attracted attention because the customary handshake has become a major talking point whenever India and Pakistan meet in cricket, often described as the gentleman's game.

Political tensions between the two countries have spilled over into cricket.

During the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a decision captain Suryakumar Yadav said was aligned with the Indian government and cricket board.

The practice continued during subsequent cricket encounters, attracting criticism and triggering debates over sportsmanship.

However, there was no such drama on the football pitch.

'We would even hug them'

India's SAFF Championship coach Naushad Moosa had made his intentions clear even before the match.

Asked whether his players would shake hands with their Pakistani opponents, Moosa said:

"If needed, we would love to go and hug them."

India captain Nathan Rodrigues also made it clear that exchanging handshakes was not an issue for his team.

Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi went a step further, drawing a direct comparison with cricket.

"It's not cricket, it's football. And that's why it's the beautiful game," he said.

And the players followed through, exchanging handshakes without controversy.

Where is Khalid Jamil?

Moosa, who has been coaching India's Under 23 team, was placed in charge of a largely second string squad for the SAFF Championship.

Regular senior team head coach Khalid Jamil is preparing a separate squad for international friendlies against New Zealand on November 12 and 15.

India's decision to field a different squad was partly due to the tournament beginning outside the FIFA international window, with several first choice players unavailable because of club commitments.

India survive Pakistan's late fightback

On the pitch, India dominated the first half.

Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored twice in the 13th and 19th minutes before Manglenthang Kipgen added a third in the 31st minute.

However, Pakistan produced a spirited fightback in stoppage time.

Najeeb Ullah scored in the 91st minute before Alamgir Ghazi struck three minutes later to make it 3–2.

India eventually held on to secure all three points.

While the match provided plenty of drama on the pitch, the scenes before and after the game showed that even one of sport's fiercest rivalries can end with a simple handshake. Sports are meant to break down barriers.