India, Pakistan U19 Teams Maintain ‘No Handshake’ Tradition Post Asia Cup Final

The Indian Under-19 cricket team chose not to participate in the traditional post-match handshake with Pakistan after their 191-run loss in the U-19 Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday.

Led by Ayush Mhatre, the team had similarly avoided this gesture during their group-stage match against Pakistan. No handshake took place after the toss in the final match either.

This decision is part of a recent trend involving Indian teams in matches against Pakistan. In the men’s Asia Cup earlier this year, Indian players refrained from pre- and post-match handshakes across all three contests between the two teams. The Indian women’s team adopted a similar stance at the Women’s World Cup 2025.

This behavior has emerged amidst intensified political tensions between the two nations, following the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in 26 casualties, and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.

Published on December 21, 2025.