The tension between India and Pakistan during the 2025 Asia Cup has caught the attention of cricket fans.
The controversy surrounding Indian cricketers refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players is currently under discussion.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed his opinion on this matter. He said that sports should be kept separate from politics and that India should have shown sportsmanship towards Pakistan.
Tharoor’s Opinion: Keep Sports Away From Politics
Tharoor said, “My personal view is that once you decide to play, if you feel so strongly about Pakistan, we shouldn’t have played… but if we are going to play them, we should play in the spirit of the game, and we should have shaken hands… we did it in 1999 when the Kargil War was going on.
The day our soldiers were dying for our country, we were playing Pakistan in a World Cup in England. We were shaking hands then because the spirit of sport is different from the spirit between nations, between armies. That’s my view.”
He further stated that if the Pakistani team also insulted India, it shows the lack of sportsmanship on both sides.
Complaints from BCCI and PCB
The BCCI filed a complaint with the ICC regarding the behavior of Pakistani players Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup.
Farhan celebrated his half-century by holding his bat like a gun, which was considered insensitive.
Rauf, meanwhile, made the “0-6” gesture towards the Indian crowd after dismissing Sanju Samson, reminiscent of Virat Kohli’s sixes in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
On the other hand, the PCB filed two complaints with the ICC objecting to Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav’s comments, claiming his statements were political.
Amidst the controversies, India performed brilliantly in the tournament. India won both matches against Pakistan to reach the final.
If Bangladesh is defeated, they could face Pakistan again in the final on Sunday.
