No Handshakes Again as India Dominate Pakistan in T20 Asia Cup Clash

For the second time in a week, India and Pakistan’s players avoided the traditional post-match handshake as political tensions overshadowed their Asia Cup campaign in Dubai. India, however, let their cricket do the talking, sealing a six-wicket win in a fiery Super Four encounter to strengthen their grip on the tournament.

The lack of handshakes was reminiscent of their meeting last Sunday, the first since the brief military conflict earlier this year. That incident prompted Pakistan to lodge a formal complaint with organisers, sparking questions about whether the rivalry could continue under such strain.

This latest clash followed the same script. At the toss, neither captain acknowledged the other, and after India successfully chased down 172 with seven balls to spare, the teams parted ways without any gesture of respect.

On the field, emotions boiled over. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who top-scored with 74 off just 39 balls, clashed with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, forcing the umpire to intervene. “The way they were coming at us without reason, I didn’t like it,” Abhishek said post-match. “I just wanted to deliver for my team.”

Alongside Shubman Gill, who struck 47, Sharma laid the platform with a blistering 105-run opening stand in under 10 overs. Tilak Varma then applied the finishing touch, striking a six to remain unbeaten on 30 and extend India’s winning streak against Pakistan to seven matches across formats.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan had threatened to seize the spotlight with a measured 58 from 45 balls. His celebratory “gun salute” with the bat after reaching fifty drew attention, but Pakistan’s innings faltered in the middle overs, enduring a 40-ball stretch without a boundary. Shivam Dube’s disciplined spell of 2-33 epitomised India’s control as Pakistan limped to 171-6 despite a late flourish.

Unlike last week’s politically charged comments from Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, both captains avoided any reference to broader conflicts at the presentation. With India set to face Bangladesh next and Pakistan meeting Sri Lanka, both sides could yet meet again in Sunday’s final if they finish among the top two in the group.

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