The handshake controversy after the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 refuses to die down. Amid the ongoing debate, former India cricketer Manoj Tiwari has criticized Team India for not shaking hands with the Pakistani players after the match. While stating it was wrong on India’s part, Tiwari also dragged Gautam Gambhir into the matter, but one of his claims has now been proven false.

Tiwari’s criticism
Speaking to Inside Sports, Tiwari said, “If India had refused to play Pakistan, it would have been fine. But once you play, you cannot avoid shaking hands. That was a mistake.” He further alleged that Gambhir was behind the decision, claiming that the former opener had earlier opposed Indo-Pak matches and wanted to hide his “hypocrisy.”

The false claim
Tiwari also targeted Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, saying that if he could shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Aga during the trophy unveiling ceremony, he should have done the same after the match. However, videos and photos from the unveiling clearly show no such handshake took place. Even TV9 Hindi had fact-checked this at the time.

Decision lies with the government, not players
It is worth noting that the decision to play India-Pakistan matches does not rest with Team India or the BCCI, but with the Indian government. While the players follow official directives, they have chosen to maintain distance wherever possible – something that became evident in the Asia Cup match.