Unruly Indian Cricketers Refuse Handshake with Pakistan Players, Citing Pahalgam Terror Attack

Unruly Indian Cricketers Refuse Handshake with Pakistan Players, Citing Pahalgam Terror Attack

RMN News Report Highlights:

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | September 15, 2025

Dubai, UAE: A cricket match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 has ignited a major controversy, as Indian cricketers demonstrated what many are calling unsportsmanlike behavior. In an unprecedented move, the Indian team refused to engage in the customary pre- and post-match handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts, an action they linked to the Pahalgam terror attack that occurred in April.

A Snub and a ‘Proper Reply’

The tension was palpable from the start of the match on Sunday, September 14, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav avoided the customary handshake with Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, at the toss. The snub was repeated after India secured a seven-wicket victory, with the Indian players leaving the field without the traditional post-match exchange.

In response, Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony. The match, a Group A clash, was already steeped in controversy, with calls for a boycott due to the ongoing political tensions and the recent Pahalgam attack.

In a post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav defended his team’s actions, stating that the win was a “proper reply” to Pakistan. “Our government and BCCI, we were aligned together. The rest, we came here, we took a call. I feel we came here just to play the game. I think we gave them a proper reply,” he said.

He further dedicated the win to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and the armed forces involved in “Operation Sindoor,” adding, “Few things in life are ahead of the sportsman spirit. We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and we stand with their families.”

Political Smokescreen and Electoral Fraud Allegations

While Indian cricketers have linked their behavior to the Pahalgam attack, it remains a fact that the perpetrators of the attack have still not been identified or apprehended. The incident is being viewed by many critics as a political tool used by the Narendra Modi government.

As is common, Prime Minister Modi blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting any evidence, and subsequently launched a military operation. This strategy, as detailed in the recently released research report, “Unveiling the Smokescreen of Indian Democracy: Fabricated Factors Masking Electoral Manipulation,” is allegedly part of a broader political playbook.

The report posits that Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) often stir up anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim sentiment to create a “smokescreen” of religious hatred. This, critics argue, is used to distract from and conceal widespread electoral manipulation, including the alleged use of electronic voting machine (EVM) fraud and other “dirty tricks.”

Opposition Leaders Accuse Modi of Vote Theft and Orchestrating Attacks

The controversy is intensified by growing accusations of “vote theft” against the Modi government. Opposition leaders and activists across India have branded Modi a “Vote Chor” (Vote Thief), alleging that the BJP has secured successive electoral victories through manipulative and fraudulent means.

Adding to the fire, senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has cast serious doubts on the government’s official narrative surrounding the Pahalgam attack. He pointed out the lack of evidence and arrests, subtly suggesting the possibility of “homegrown terrorists” and accusing the Modi regime of a lack of transparency. “For all we know, they could be homegrown terrorists. Why do you assume that they came from Pakistan? There’s no evidence of that,” Chidambaram queried.

This stance is echoed by other opposition figures, including Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who has demanded accountability from the Modi government for its failure to apprehend those responsible for the attack. These leaders argue that the Modi government frequently attributes terror attacks to Pakistan without conclusive evidence, a claim often disputed by international bodies like the IMF, FATF, and the UN Security Council.

International Scrutiny and Calls for Independent Investigations

Critics and opposition parties have expressed grave concerns that the Modi government may be orchestrating terror attacks for political advantage, subsequently blaming Pakistan to rally support among Hindu voters. Allegations of “fake sketches” of terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have further fueled these suspicions.

In this context, there is a mounting demand for independent, UN-supervised investigations into a series of incidents, including:

• The Pahalgam attack (April 2025)
• The Pulwama attack (2019)
• The Mumbai attacks (2008)
• The Godhra train burning (2002)
• The Gujarat pogrom (2002)
• The 2020 violence in Delhi targeting Muslims
• The murder of Gujarat politician Haren Pandya
• The mysterious death of Judge Loya

These calls are intensified by a history of scrutiny into Modi’s alleged criminal activities, highlighted in the 2023 BBC documentary, “India: The Modi Question,” and the previous revocation of his visa by the United States due to his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat mass murders. Given the perceived inability to secure a fair investigation within India, a proposal has emerged for Modi’s case to be handled by an international court, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a world where sports and politics often intertwine, Indian cricketers should resist being co-opted into the political agendas of the Modi regime. They have a responsibility to behave as true sportsmen on the cricket field, upholding the values of fair play and respect, especially when competing against Pakistan.