Will India National Cricket Team face a penalty for failing to shake hands with Pakistan? Here’s what the ICC regulations state

There is a lot of uproar after the heated Group-A encounter between India & Pakistan match on Sunday in T20 Asia Cup 2025. After winning this great match in Dubai, the players of Team India did not shake hands with the Pakistani players. After the match ended, India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube left the field without shaking hands with the Pakistani players. Let us tell you that India, chasing a modest score of 128 runs in this match, defeated the Salman Agha-led outfit by seven wickets with 25 balls left.

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Will Team India be fined for not shaking hands with Pakistan?

By not shaking hands, the players of Team India expressed their solidarity with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and showed Pakistan its place. After losing the match badly by 7 wickets against India, the players of Pakistan were standing in a queue to shake hands with Team India, but they were humiliated. The players of Team India did not shake hands with the Pakistani cricketers. Now the biggest question is whether ICC will impose any fine on the Men in Blue for not shaking hands with their fierce-rivals or not. Meanwhile, there are reports that the team manager of Pakistan Cricket Team has lodged a 'formal protest' against India for not shaking hands.

This is what ICC's rule says

According to the rules of cricket, it is not a crime if a team never shakes hands with its opponent before or after the match. Handshaking is considered a part of the spirit of the game. No team or its players are forced to shake hands with their opponents during the match. Players of both teams shake hands after a match only as a part of cricketing culture. Handshaking is not mandatory in any tournament, whether it is organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

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