Separate presenters poised for India, Pakistan captains for Asia Cup 2025 final toss

DUBAI: The toss for the highly anticipated ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 final between fierce rivals Pakistan and India, scheduled to be played here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, will feature two presenters.

According to the details, there will be separate presenters for Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and his India counterpart Suryakumar Yadav.

Legendary pacer Waqar Younis will talk to Agha at the toss, while former batting all-rounder and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri will perform the presenter’s duties for India captain Suryakumar.

The development came amid India’s refusal to offer customary handshakes to Pakistan counterparts during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

India’s controversial move first came to light during their group-stage match against Pakistan on September 21, when their captain Suryakumar avoided the customary handshake with Pakistan's counterpart 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, and upon reaching the dressing room, the Indian players shut the door while Pakistan’s players were waiting on the field for the traditional post-match courtesy.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Andy Pycroft for mishandling the situation and lodged a formal complaint with the apex body.

The cricket board later revealed that Pycroft apologised, calling the incident a “miscommunication,” following which Pakistan took the field to play their group-stage match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which faced a significant period of uncertainty.

Tensions resurfaced on September 21 during the Super Four clash, where Indian players once again avoided handshakes before and after the game with their Pakistan counterparts.