“Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”, that’s what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan concluded with improved cricket and a nail-biting contest, but also a heated off-field controversy. While Team India’s win was widely celebrated, the refusal to shake hands and accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi sparked mixed reactions.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized the decision to snub the handshake. He said,
“I personally feel that once the decision was made to play, if we feel so strongly about Pakistan, then we should not have played. But if we are going to play them, we should play in the spirit of the game and shake hands.”
He recalled the 1999 World Cup during the Kargil War,
“On the very day soldiers were dying for our country, we were playing the World Cup against Pakistan in England, and we shook their hands even then because the spirit of the game is different from what goes on between countries or armies.”
Tharoor added,
“If the Pakistani team, having been insulted the first time, decided to insult us back the second time, it shows the spirit of the game is lacking on both sides.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking India’s Asia Cup win with Operation Sindhur, questioning why India played Pakistan despite its zero-tolerance stance on terror.
In contrast, many praised the Indian team’s stance as a strong, principled stand reflecting national dignity and solidarity with victims of terror. Supporters argued that sport cannot be separated from politics when national security is at stake. This group lauded the refusal to shake hands and accept the trophy as a symbolic act of protest.
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This divide illustrates the complex emotional and political undertones that blur the lines between sport and diplomacy in India-Pakistan contests. While voices like Tharoor urge respect and sportsmanship, others highlight the importance of taking a moral position on wider national issues.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking India’s Asia Cup win with Operation Sindhur, questioning why India played Pakistan despite its zero-tolerance stance on terror.
“In the first place, this match should not have happened. The cricket match that BCCI played for the benefit of PCB… the 140 crore people of the country did not want this match to happen.”
Who said What!
- Amitabh Bachchan: “Proud of Team India’s spirit and grit. Sport is beyond routine politics — hope we see respect and sportsmanship on both sides soon.”
- Sidharth Malhotra: “India played brilliantly! The handshake incident is unfortunate, but the focus must stay on the game and our players’ incredible performance.”
- Mammootty: “A tough game with a tough outcome. Wish peace and goodwill prevail beyond rivalry. Sportsmanship should always come first.”
