Australian cricketers troll India over no-handshake controversy

Australian men’s and women’s cricketers have mocked India’s recent no-handshake stand against Pakistan during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 ahead of their series against the Men in Blue.

The players, including Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Alyssa Healy, playfully joked about the row in a video shared by Kayo Sportswhich has since been deleted.

In the clip, the anchors humorously pointed out India’s avoidance of traditional greetings.

“We all know India is on the way. But we’ve identified a critical weakness,” said one host, while another added, “We know they’re not big fans of the traditional greeting,” mimicking a handshake gesture.

The Australian players got in on the joke, with Nathan Ellis and Glenn Maxwell attempting a mock fist and palm gesture. Women’s captain Alyssa Healy teased further by wagging her fingers in a playful gesture.

Spinner Sophie Molineux continued to use the ‘Italian salute’, a traditional offensive gesture, followed by the flick of the middle finger. Mitchell Marsh suggested the “finger in the ice bucket” as an alternative to the handshake, while other players added humorous gestures such as “healing hands” and “salt in the popcorn.”

Hazlewood jokingly asked, “What about the shooter?” causing laughter from the entire group.

Although the original video by Kayo Sports has been removed, the clips continue to circulate online.

The incident revived memories of the ‘handshake saga’ from the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, where similar controversies took place on six occasions, including during the group stage, Super Four and the final.

Earlier in the tournament, the Indian team consistently avoided handshakes after the match against Pakistan, heading straight to their dressing room even after winning all three group stage matches.

On one occasion, Pakistani players waited on the field for a traditional handshake, only for the Indian team to leave immediately.

Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had filed a formal complaint against India’s conduct, citing mishandling by match referee Andy Pycroft.

The PCB later confirmed Pycroft described the incident as a “miscommunication” and apologised. The ICC expressed its readiness to investigate the repeated incidents.

The Indian media had also reported before the Super Four clash that the team planned to maintain a “no handshake” policy with Pakistan.

Looking ahead, India will travel to Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is from October 19, before returning home to host South Africa for a two-Test, three ODI and five T20I series.