Pakistan, India players exchange high-fives ahead of Sultan of Johor Cup match

JOHOR BAHRU: Traditional rivals Pakistan and India players exchanged high-fives ahead of their high-octane Sultan of Johor Cup match here at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.

The moment of camaraderie came after the national anthems of the neighbouring countries were played as the Indian players approached their Pakistan counterparts and exchanged high-fives.

After their enthralling match ended in a 3-3 draw, the players from both teams were also seen shaking hands.

The on-field interactions between the Pakistan and India players hold significance, considering the tension between the two countries’ cricket teams during last month's ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup.

This year’s continental tournament was marred by controversies, with the Indian players denying handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts and eventually refusing to receive the prestigious trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The Indian team’s stubbornness caused an hour-long delay in the commencement of the post-match presentation, drawing criticism from the cricket fraternity, including Ravi Shastri.

The closing ceremony of the eight-team tournament eventually started after a long delay, with India’s Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma receiving individual awards for their respective performances in the summit clash, while Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha collected the prize money cheque for finishing as the runners-up.

Later, Kuldeep was invited again to collect the award for finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the Asia Cup 2025, followed by left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma, who was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for scoring 314 runs in seven innings at an average of 44.85.

The closing ceremony concluded without the winning team receiving the trophy, as presenter Simon Doull confirmed its conclusion.

Subsequently, the organisers took the Asia Cup 2025 trophy with them, leaving the Indian team waiting to get their hands on the title trophy.