Overview

• India declined handshakes with Pakistan at the toss and after recent Asia Cup matches in Dubai, keeping a deliberate distance that has fueled the dispute.
• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called for a return to customary courtesies, citing the 1999 World Cup during the Kargil War when players still shook hands.
• Tharoor argued that refusing courtesies blurs sport and state, diminishes sportsmanship, and risks projecting insecurity rather than confidence.
• The BCCI filed complaints with the ICC and match referee Andy Pycroft against Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf over provocative on-field gestures, including a bat-as-gun celebration and a “0-6” signal to spectators.
• The PCB previously lodged two complaints to the ICC over India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match comment after the September 14 game, calling it political.