Will Indian and Pakistani Players Shake Hands in IND vs PAK U19 Asia Cup Match?

India and Pakistan are set to clash against each other in the Group A clash of the ongoing Under-19 Asia Cup match at the ICC Academy Ground, Dubai, on December 14. Fans are awaiting the much-awaited clash as the match will be between one of the biggest arch-rivals in cricket history.

Both teams started their tournament campaign with a win in their opening matches. However, the Pakistan team are in first place in the points table because of the better net run-rate. However, the biggest question regarding the IND U19 vs PAK U19 match is whether the players will shake hands or not.

Will Players Shake Hands in IND vs PAK U19 Asia Cup Match?

After the horrifying attack in Pahalgam earlier this year, the Indian government decided to untangle all the affairs with the neighbouring country, Pakistan. This also affected the relationship on the field, as during the Senior Men's Asia Cup 2025, India chose not to shake hands with the Pakistani players. The Men in Blue also refused to take the trophy later, since it was supposed to be handed over by the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who later took the trophy with him.

Since then, both teams' players haven't shaken hands in any match they've played against each other. Even during the Women's World Cup 2025, the players of both teams didn't shake hands during the toss or after the match. This puts the emphasis on the upcoming game as IND U19 vs PAK U19 handshake controversy comes under scrutiny.

There have been no reports so far regarding this matter, however, the ICC wants the IND vs PAK handshake controversy to end in this match. According to PTI, the ICC doesn't want the politics to escalate in junior cricket. The BCCI has informed the team manager that if the players decide not to shake hands, then the match referee needs to be informed in advance.

While the greatest rivalry in cricket is likely to be revived with this match, the focus will be on the Indian players handshake with Pakistan U19 Asia cup players. Hence, it remains to be seen if the IND vs PAK handshake controversy continues to go ahead or comes to an end.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Wrath in Opening Match

India's star young opener, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, once again displayed his aggression with the bat by scoring 171 runs off just 95 balls, featuring nine fours and 14 sixes in India's first match of the tournament against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His magnificent knock reminded the world why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world as he helped India to put up a monumental total of 433 runs on the scoreboard.

There were some valuable contributions from Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra as well. In reply, the UAE were bowled out for just 199 runs even after playing for the full 50 overs. It would be interesting to see Suryavanshi's stance against the Men in Green and how he will perform in the India vs Pakistan U19 Asia Cup match as youngster will be under some pressure.