NEW DELHI: The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is not only confined to the field; due to geopolitical tensions between the two nations, it is always more than just action on the pitch. After the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists, the situation went from bad to worse.

The recent India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash on Sunday was marred by boycott calls in the country, and both the Indian players and the BCCI faced massive backlash for going ahead with the tie. But what followed next was beyond everyone's imagination, as India captain Suryakumar Yadav's act of not shaking hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha hit the Pakistani fraternity so hard that they blew it out of proportion.

Here is a timeline of events pertaining to the 'Handshake Controversy':

Sep 14: Suryakumar skipped the customary handshake with Salman Agha during the toss for their Group A contest in the Asia Cup match. Both captains submitted their respective team sheets to the match referee Andy Pycroft and headed back in their respective directions.

Sep 14: After sealing the contest with a six, Suryakumar was again at the centre as he turned towards the dugout and started walking without even glancing at the opposition players. Pakistan players queued up for the customary handshake and even walked halfway towards the Indian dugout, but no players from the opposite side responded.

Sep 14: Surya made it clear that it was a team call and they came to play and give them a reply. The captain also dedicated this victory to the armed forces who took part in 'Operation Sindoor' and stood with families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Sep 14: Surya's move did not go well with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha boycotting the post-match presentation coach Mike Hesson expressed displeasure over India's refusal to shake hands.

Sep 15: Pakistan team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding match referee Andy Pycroft for siding with India and PCB demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee Andy Pycroft from their Asia Cup games.

Sep 16: ICC rejected PCB's demand to replace match referee Andy Pycroft and PCB threatened to not take the field if Pycroft is the match official for their game against UAE. Pakistan cancelled their scheduled pre-match media conference although they go ahead with the pre-arranged net session at the ICC Academy ground. PCB wrote a second letter to the ICC reiterating their demands to remove match referee Andy Pycroft, however it was also turned down by the governing body.

Sep 17: The Pakistan team refused to leave its hotel after learning that Pycroft will be persisted with. But the team showed up for their crucial match against UAE but not before causing a delay and claiming that it received an "apology" from match referee Andy Pycroft, who was retained by the ICC despite the country's repeated demand for his removal.