Asia Cup Final: Will India extend its winning run... and the hand?

Dubai: Even in the worst of times, India's cricketers have maintained cordial on-field relationships with their Pakistani counterparts. Clearly, that has changed since the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives.

A cursory shake of hands between Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council but also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan's Minister of Interior, on September 9 triggered a chain of events marked by charges and counter-charges culminating in both teams filing official complaints with the International Cricket Council over code of conduct breaches.

Suryakumar and Salman Agha, the Pakistan captain, also exchanged a handshake that day at a pre-tournament press conference involving the skippers of all eight participating teams at the T20 Asia Cup. That outrage in India following those twin handshakes resulted in India adopting a no-handshake policy against Pakistan, one that will be put to test on Sunday night, at the conclusion of the final.

In his capacity as the ACC boss, Naqvi will, by right, be at the presentation ceremony. Should India score a third consecutive victory in the tournament over Pakistan, Naqvi will be expected to present the trophy to Suryakumar as per convention. At best, it will be an awkward moment. Will Naqvi be even keen to carry out that responsibility? Will he extend his hand towards India’s leader? And if so, how will Suryakumar respond?

Every individual has the right to express emotions. If we stop fast bowlers from showing emotions what’s left then? I won’t stop anyone as long as it is not disrespectful.

Salman Agha, Pakistan captain

In normal course, these aren't questions worth pondering over, but clearly, there is little normal about how things have unravelled in the last fortnight.

Suryakumar dedicating India's Group A win on September 14 to India's Armed Forces and expressing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam attack drove PCB, through Naqvi, to file charges against the Indian captain, necessitating a hearing by match referee Richie Richardson, who is said to have fined Suryakumar 30% of his match fee.

Naqvi has also twice in the last week posted videos of Cristiano Ronaldo making a celebratory plane crash gesture, a gesture Haris Rauf mimicked more than once during the Super Four faceoff on September 21. Rauf too, it is gathered, has attracted a financial sanction.

Suryakumar Yadav 

India's players have been guided by instructions from higher ups on what tack to embrace vis a vis Pakistan at the Asia Cup. It's incumbent upon the BCCI top brass, who will gather in Mumbai for Sunday's AGM, to outline what the approach should be during the presentation ceremony later in the night.