The India U-19 team will go into the 2025 Under-19 Asia Cup as one of the favorites thanks to the presence of young stars like captain Ayush Mhatre and explosive opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi. They are grouped alongside Pakistan, the UAE and Malaysia. On the other hand, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are placed in Group B.
ICC intervenes ahead of the high-voltage match between India and Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup 2025
The most talked about match will undoubtedly be India versus Pakistan, scheduled for December 14 at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. The match between India and Pakistan has always attracted extra attention due to the intense rivalry between the two countries.
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This match is already drawing attention to the controversy surrounding the on-field drama that has unfolded in recent events. In recent tournaments including the Senior Men’s Asia Cup 2025, the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 and the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025, Indian teams have refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.
Even they avoided any exchange with Pakistanis. This stand has been taken as a sign of solidarity with the Indian Army and in honor of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. This trend is likely to continue in the 2025 U-19 Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) has now stepped in to prevent the controversy.
ICC orders India and Pakistan U-19 players to shake hands during the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025
The ICC has directed players from both countries to keep aside political differences and follow standard sportsmanship protocols by shaking hands after the match of the tournament. The governing body hopes that the Under-19 Asia Cup will be purely cricket-focused.
The ICC has asked the BCCI to ensure that Indian players do not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during the Under-19 Asia Cup match.
However, a BCCI official revealed that the players have not been given any specific instructions but they have communicated with team manager Anand Datar and head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar on how to handle the situation.
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Is BCCI preparing for another controversy between India and Pakistan?
A BCCI official close to the development was quoted by PTI on condition of anonymity as saying, “The boys have not said anything. But it is clear that BCCI has given explicit instructions to its manager, Anand Datar.
If Indian boys do not shake hands with the Pakistan team, the match referee must be informed in advance. We are sure that ICC does not want politics to come to the fore when it comes to junior cricket. So it’s a case of both bad optics and public sentiment.”
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