Pakistan captain Salman Agha ignores handshake, bolts off after Asia Cup PC; India's Suryakumar Yadav stays back to…

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Just when the press conference ended, Salman got up from his seat immediately and rushed off the stage along with the Hong Kong and Oman captains. Suryakumar, on the other hand, stayed back for a small chat with the Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh captains. They all shook hands, hugged, and then came off the stage.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time this year a handshake, or the lack of it, involving Indian players became a talking point. Earlier this summer, during the tour of England for the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, a similar moment had sparked quite a debate among the experts and fans on social media. It happened during the fourth Test at Old Trafford, when England skipper Ben Stokes offered a handshake to India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, accepting the draw. But the two Indian batters denied and continued to bat to reach their respective centuries, leading to a heated exchange between the players from the two teams.

While few argued in favour of England, saying it was against the spirit and sportsmanship, most reckoned Sundar and Jadeja were well within their rights to decline the handshake offer, having courageously negated the threat to draw the game.

The Asia Cup presser incident between the two captains only added fresh fuel to the narrative of rising tensions ahead of their showdown. If nothing else, it set the tone for September 14, when the arch-rivals meet in their Group A clash at the Dubai International Stadium.

'Aggression' key for India in Pakistan game

Suryakumar emphasised that aggression will be the key to India's victory over Pakistan in their second group game in the Asia Cup. India will begin their campaign on Wednesday against the UAE.

"Aggression is always there on the field, and without aggression, I don't think you can play this sport, and I am sure I am very excited to take the field," Suryakumar told the media.

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha responded to Suryakumar Yadav's comments, emphasising that every player is distinct with their own approach to the game. Agha expressed his support for his team, encouraging them to express themselves freely on the field.

"You don't need to say anything to any player because everyone is individually very different. If someone wants to be aggressive in the field, they are more than welcome to do that," Agha told the media.

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