India ‘A’ captain Jitesh Sharma once again brought the handshake debate into the spotlight after he chose not to shake hands with Pakistan Shaheens skipper Irfan Khan Niazi during the toss of their ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 match in Doha on Sunday.
As soon as Pakistan won the toss at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Jitesh moved back then walked directly towards match presenter Farveez Maharoof.
Visit Times of Karachi website for the latest news-related content daily
He skipped the traditional captains handshake at the toss with Irfan, a moment that immediately drew attention in the high-pressure India–Pakistan clash.
In the match, chasing 137, Pakistan made a strong start through Maaz Sadaqat and Mohammad Naeem, who put on 55 runs in just six overs.
Naeem was dismissed for 14, but Sadaqat kept going and scored an unbeaten 79 off 47 balls, registering his second straight fifty.
Mohammad Faiq supported him with 16 not out as Pakistan completed the chase in the 14th over.
Earlier, India began aggressively through Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but Pakistan struck at regular intervals.
Suryavanshi (45) and Naman Dhir (35) were the only major contributors as India were bowled out for 136 in 19 overs.
Shahid Aziz was the pick of the bowlers with 3/24, while Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood took two wickets each.
With this win, Pakistan became the first team from Group B to qualify for the knockout stage.
READ: Pakistan Shaheens squad announced for Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025
The second semifinal spot from the group will be decided in the India A vs Oman match, scheduled for tomorrow, November 18, at 7:30 pm PST.
The winner of that match will join Pakistan in the semifinals.
UAE have already been eliminated from the tournament.
This latest incident added another chapter to handshake controversy seen several times in recent months, especially during the ACC Men’s T20 Cup 2025 in Dubai.
During that tournament, the senior teams of both countries faced each other three times, and on every occasion, the captains avoided handshakes either at the toss or after the match.
Follow Pakistan vs Sri Lanka third ODI live
On September 14, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose not to exchange the customary handshake in the group match.
A week later, on September 21, he repeated the same gesture in the Super Four stage.
The issue grew further when, after India’s group-stage victory, Suryakumar, who had hit the winning runs, walked off the field with teammate Shivam Dube without greeting the Pakistan players.
Pakistan’s squad waited on the field expecting the usual post-match handshake, but the Indian team headed straight to the dressing room.
The controversy has also surfaced in women’s cricket.
Follow the Times of Karachi channel on WhatsApp
During the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Colombo, captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana did not shake hands at the toss.
Following India’s win, the Indian players celebrated together and left for the dressing room without the traditional gesture towards Pakistan’s team.
With the latest incident involving Jitesh Sharma and Irfan Niazi, the handshake debate between India and Pakistan’s cricket teams has once again become a talking point, highlighting the ongoing tension surrounding matches between the two rivals.
