NEW DELHI: More than India's crushing victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday, their refusal to shake hands with the opposition became the major talking point. The Indian team skipped the customary handshake after the match, as captain Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube rushed straight into the dressing room.

India drew criticism from all quarters and faced massive backlash for going ahead with the match in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists. Suryakumar Yadav sealed the contest with a six, then turned towards the dugout and walked off without even glancing at the opposition players.

The gesture did not sit well with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who boycotted the post-match presentation. Later, the PCB lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council over the Indian players' refusal to shake hands.

"Team manager Naveed Cheema lodged a strong protest against Indian players' behaviour of not shaking hands. It was deemed as unsporting and against the sport of the game. As a protest we did not send our captain to the post match ceremony," read a PCB statement.

Will ICC act against India?

The question now arises: does the Indian players' gesture warrant any penalty from the International Cricket Council (ICC)? Although the Asia Cup is governed by the ACC, the ICC Code of Conduct still applies to all participating teams and players, as the tournament consists of international matches.

It's important to note that shaking hands at the end of a match is not mandatory - it's a gesture of sportsmanship rather than a strict requirement. The ICC's Code of Conduct does not include any specific clause addressing the consequences of deliberately skipping post-match handshakes.

The ICC's Code emphasises respect for the game, teammates, match officials, and umpires. While the Indian team didn't shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, there was no clear sign of disrespect in their actions or statements.

In other words, the players were well within their rights to skip the customary handshake. So, even though the incident may have left cricketing community disappointed, it is unlikely that the ICC will take any disciplinary action against the Indian team.