India, Pakistan End Asia Cup Press Conference on a Bitter Note

The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to kickstart from 9th September 2025 with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in the first game of the tournament. Ahead of the mega event, there was a press conference for all the participating captains. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rashid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Litton Das were present there along with the captains of the other participating teams.

Right towards the end of the event, something different happened that grabbed everyone’s attention. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha walked off from the event without the customary handshakes with all the captains, highlighting the tensions between India and Pakistan. The incident caught the limelight soon and it makes the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 game even more exciting.

No Handshakes Between India & Pakistan Captains

There is a huge debate whether India should play against Pakistan, considering the recent political turmoil between the two nations. And the India-Pakistan no handshake moment has only added fuel to those debates and opinions.

On the other hand, Team India Captain Suryakumar Yadav had the courtesy of waiting for everyone and shaking hands with the other captains. This highlights the camaraderie which India shares with the other nations of Asia Cup.

At the end of the press conference, Suryakumar had a brief chat with Rashid Khan, Charith Asalanka, and Muhammad Waseem (UAE captain). Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha walked away out of the room without shaking hands with anyone.
The Asia Cup 2025 is slated to kickstart from 9th September 2025. The first game will be played between Afghanistan and Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. India will lock horns with the hosts UAE on 10th September 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The stakes and excitement levels are quite high for this game.
For all the teams, the tournament will serve as a preparation for the high-voltage ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which is the pinnacle tournament in this format. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah will be key players to watch out for in this game in Dubai. All three of them are world-class T20 players with Suryakumar and Abhishek being the best T20 batsmen in the world.

Rashid Khan Unhappy with Asia Cup 2025 Scheduling

When the captains were asked about the scheduling, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan had strong qualms about it. Rashid raised concerns of staying in Dubai despite having all the matches in Abu Dhabi. However, he was quick to add the fact that a cricketer needs to adjust these things.

“To play a game in Abu Dhabi and to stay here in Dubai. You have all three games in Abu Dhabi, but your stay is in Dubai. But as a professional cricketer, you have to accept all these things. You have to be well-prepared, and you have to be mentally strong,” Rashid Khan said.
Asia Cup 2025 is all set to bring alive one of the greatest rivalry in cricket - India vs Pakistan. The India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match will be on 14th September 2025 and it will begin from 8:00 PM (IST) in Dubai. There is the possibility of these two teams facing each other more in the tournament if they manage to go into the next stage.