India A skip handshakes with Pakistan Shaheens before Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament

Players of both India A and Pakistan Shaheens teams on Sunday avoided handshakes before the start of their match in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament here, continuing the trend started by the senior side during the Asia Cup in September.

Both teams went their separate ways after the national anthems.

Pakistan Shaheens won the toss and opted to field first.

During the Asia Cup in September, India’s T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake hands with Salman Ali Agha as a show of solidarity for victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Jitesh Sharma, who was the second wicketkeeper in that tournament and is captain of India A in the ongoing event, followed in his senior’s footsteps and did not shake hands with Pakistan Shaheens skipper Irfan Khan at the toss.

With Indo-Pak cricketing ties at their lowest ebb, tensions escalated after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi refused to hand over the Asia Cup winner’s trophy to Suryakumar in Dubai.

The Indian men’s team had declined to accept the trophy from a Pakistan representative.