After No Handshake On Cricket Field, India And Pakistan Shake Hands On Hockey Turf

Hyderabad: The stance to not shake hands with the Pakistani players, followed by the Indian cricketers in the recently concluded Asia Cup, was not followed by the hockey players on Tuesday. India and Pakistan locked horns at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Malaysia in the Sultan of Johor Cup.

The two arch-rivals squared off in the league stage match and this was the first meeting between the two after the relations between India and Pakistan soured after the Pahalgam terror attack and the operation Sindoor carried out by the Indian armed forces in response to it.

India shake hands with Pakistan

After the national anthems were played, India and Pakistan were engaged in the customary handshake before the start of the match. Both of the captains were spotted shaking hands with each other after the toss.

Notably, the stance taken by the Indian hockey players was completely opposite to what Indian cricketers did at the Asia Cup 2025. The Men in Blue did not shake hands with their counterparts in the three matches played between the two nations. Indian women’s cricket team also followed the same practice after defeating Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup.

Match ends in 3-3 draw

It was an exhilarating contest as both teams produced some quality gameplay to serve as a spectacle for the audience. The three-time champions were down 0-2 at one point but bounced back by scoring thrice in the second half. However, Pakistan equalised later to make the scoreline 3-3.

India is now at second position in the points table behind Australia on the basis of goal difference, as both teams have an equal number of points with two victories and one draw. Pakistan have occupied the third spot with four points.

For the unversed, Sultan of Johar Cup is an annual U-21 competition and India have won it thrice (2013, 2014 and 2022)