Will Pakistan and India captains stand together for pre-final trophy shoot?

DUBAI: The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India will be played on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

However, the traditional pre-final trophy shoot featuring both captains will not take place this time.

Organisers confirmed on Saturday that no such event would be held, adding that a final decision on whether the captains would pose together with the trophy could only be taken on Sunday before the match.

Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha is scheduled to address a press conference at 7:00 PM (PST) today, while the national team will conduct their final training session at the ICC Academy in Dubai from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PST).

The controversy surrounding player interactions began during the group stage clash, when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav declined the customary handshake with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha at the toss. 

The situation repeated at the end of the match when Suryakumar, after scoring the winning runs, walked off without greeting the opposition.

Following that match, Indian captain Suryakumar, Shivam Dube and his teammates immediately returned to the dressing room, closing the doors while Pakistan’s players waited on the field for the traditional post-match courtesy.

This sparked a protest from Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, who lodged a complaint against India’s conduct and also against match referee Andy Pycroft for mishandling the matter.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later revealed that Pycroft apologised, calling the incident a “miscommunication,” which allowed the delayed proceedings to continue.

Tensions resurfaced on September 21 during the Super Four clash, where both teams once again avoided handshakes before and after the game.

According to the PCB, Pycroft later apologised once more to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and team management, reiterating that the incident was the result of a miscommunication.