Former India player Atul Wassan ripped into Pakistan for complaining against India for snubbing the customary handshakes at the toss as well as after the match, branding the Men in Green as shameless for trying to force India to shake hands. The match, already under a cloud of controversy due to it being the first one between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent retaliation, made more headlines more for the off-field antics than on.
“They have become so shameless that they want to force us into shaking hands. What kind of mentality do they have? Everyone came to know that you had been insulted. If we are not willing to meet you, then why are you insisting? They insulted themselves more after filing the complaint,” Wassan said in a video shared by ANI.
“The complaint shows how immature and juvenile they are… There is no code of conduct (of shaking hands). We are not poking you, nether are we smiling at you because we are just tolerating you. Our message was clear that we played for the eco-system but do not to expect anything more from us because we don’t like you at all…” he added.
Watch:
#WATCH | Gurugram, Haryana | On Indian cricketers refusing to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers during yesterday’s match, Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan says, “They have become so shameless that they want to force us into shaking hands. What kind of mentality do they… pic.twitter.com/Q6or8vrPlX
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2025
The row started right at the toss when India captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to snub his Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha and not indulge in the customary handshake. The cold shoulder by India continued after the match when Surya and Shivam Dube left the field as soon as the match ended with India’s 7-wicket win, forgoing the end of the match handshakes with Pakistan.
This led to Pakistan captain Agha boycotting the post-match presentation ceremony with the Men in green even complaining to ICC.
A statement from the Pakistan team said: “Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players’ behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the spirit of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony.”
