No-handshake policy continues in India-Pakistan U19 Asia Cup clash

Dubai: The no-handshake policy remained in place during the India—Pakistan Group A encounter at the ACC U19 Asia Cup, as India captain Ayush Mhatre did not shake hands with Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf at the toss at the ICC Academy on Sunday.

The latest meeting marked the sixth time India and Pakistan have faced each other in ICC or ACC tournaments since September. Despite reports that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow customary handshakes and keep politics out of junior cricket, the Indian board is understood to have maintained its stance.

According to sources, the BCCI instructed India’s team management to continue the policy. A senior official, speaking to PTI, said the players themselves were not directly briefed, but clear directions were given to team manager Anand Datar. The official added that while the ICC preferred to avoid political overtones in youth tournaments, advance intimation to the match referee would be required if handshakes were skipped, making the situation a matter of optics and public sentiment.

The no-handshake trend began during the Senior Men’s Asia Cup in September, when India captain Suryakumar Yadav declined to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent military tensions between the two countries. India went on to defeat Pakistan in all three of their meetings in that tournament, including the final on September 28.

Similar gestures were later seen when India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur followed the policy during the Women’s World Cup match in Colombo in October, and Jitesh Sharma did the same at the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament in Doha last month.

Sunday’s U19 contest was delayed by rain, with the toss held nearly half an hour late, leading to the match being reduced to 49 overs per side.

India entered the match after a dominant 234-run victory over the UAE in their opening Group A game on December 12, powered by a sensational 171 off 95 balls from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. However, the teenage prodigy was dismissed for just five runs against Pakistan.

Pakistan, meanwhile, began their campaign in emphatic fashion, crushing Malaysia by 297 runs, with Sameer Minhas (177) and Ahmed Hussain (132) leading the charge with the bat.