"Cannot Forget Pain India Went Through": Asia Cup Final Hero Tilak Varma's Coach To NDTV On Handshake Row

India batter Tilak Varma's childhood coach, Salam Bayash, supported the Suryakumar Yadav-led side's stance of not shaking hands with the Pakistan team during the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Bayash reserved high praise for Tilak, who scored an unbeaten 69 to help India chase down 147 against Pakistan in the final in Dubai on Sunday. Bayash also opened up on the handshake row, suggesting that the Indian team did the right thing by not engaging with the Pakistan team.

'They talk about the 'spirit of cricket' but we cannot forget the pain our country went through,' said Bayash during an exclusive interview with NDTV.

India beat Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the Asia Cup, and it was their ninth title overall in the tournament across formats.

After the match, the Indian team refused to accept the winners' trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman and Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Speculations were rife in the build-up to the final that Indian players might not accept the trophy, if they win, from Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, an interior minister of his country, and also known for his anti-India stance.

As the head of the continental body, he was well within his rights to present the trophy and also engage in a customary handshake with both squads, but the Indian team preferred to maintain its policy of 'no handshake' and no off-field engagement with anyone from Pakistan.

Naqvi has twice posted a cryptic video message on 'X' in the past few days: a Cristiano Ronaldo goal celebration depicting a plane crash, the same gesture that controversial pacer Haris Rauf made repeatedly during the Super 4s game against India on September 21, resulting in a fine for him."

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Tilak Varma Asia Cup 2025 Cricket