The Asia Cup final is upon us, and as the cricketing world would have wanted it, it's India vs Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Stadium. This whole tournament has been about the most epic cricketing rivalry between these two countries, with a major political twist interwined with cricket. The no-handshake incident that first took place on September 14, when Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav declined the formal handshake with Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha before the toss, and then the entire Indian squad rejected handshakes at the end of their victory in the Group A match, sent the cricketing world into a frenzy. Today, he went a step ahead, not even showing up for the customary photoshoot!

The decision not to shake hands, an act of solidarity with the Indian army and respect for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, subsequently, the no-handshake decision became a significant point of discussion.

This no-handshake tradition continued only with Pakistan ahead in the tournament. The Super 4 clash between the two saw another decline in handshakes. And now in the all-important Asia Cup 2025 Final, Suryakumar Yadav yet again declined the formal handshake before the Toss.

Also Read: Will India Snub ACC Head Mohsin Naqvi at Asia Cup Trophy Ceremony?

But what happened the day before the toss was even more shocking. In an unexpected twist, Suryakumar Yadav skipped the customary pre-match photoshoot of the two captains with the Asia Cup trophy. Salman Ali Agha was photographed alone with the trophy.

When asked about the incident, the Pakistan skipper took a diplomatic tone, downplaying the incident and stating, “They can do whatever they want, we will just follow the protocol. The rest is up to them. If they want to come, they come, and if they don’t, we can’t do anything." "We don’t focus on what we can’t control. Media talk, outside noise; we ignore it. Our goal is the Asia Cup. We came here to play good cricket, and tomorrow we’ll aim to win the final," he added yesterday.

At the toss, the coin landed in favour of India, and the skipper declared their decision to bowl first. He stated that they believe in their ability to chase, and while they certainly have batted first wonderfully, they'll chase tonight.

In other news, Suryakumar Yadav delivered some bad news for the Indian fans. Hardik Pandya will not feature against Pakistan in the final tonight since he has picked up a niggle. The top-ranked All-rounder in T20Is missing out will be a big blow to India and will work as a confidence boost for the Men in Green.

He will be replaced by Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube, along with the dangerous Jasprit Bumrah, will be back in the side after resting against Sri Lanka. India will have a deep batting order that might come in handy in a chase. Pakistan, on the other hand, remain unchanged.