India, Pakistan players shake hands ahead of Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 hockey match
Players from India and Pakistan greeted each other with handshakes ahead of their Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 clash in Malaysia on Tuesday.
The two teams engaged in the customary pre-match routine after the national anthems were played before the start of the Round Robin encounter.
The handshake comes in the wake of the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams skipping the gesture after their respective clashes in the Asia Cup 2025 and the Women’s World Cup 2025.
Amid rising political tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, and subsequently Operation Sindoor, India and Pakistan faced each other thrice in the Asia Cup and once in the Women’s World Cup, and the Indian team refused to shake hands on all occasions.
Pacer Haris Rauf made controversial gestures during the men’s contest, signalling ‘6-0’ followed by gestures of what looked like a crashing plane. Compatriot Muhammad Abdullah from the Pakistan youth football team also made similar gestures after scoring a goal against India at the SAFF U17 Championship.
Published on Oct 14, 2025