By Soubhagya Chatterjee

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The Asia Cup 2025 is currently going on in the UAE and the group stage games are nearing an end. The Asia Cup 2025 commenced on September 9 with eight teams. India, Pakistan, Oman and UAE were slotted in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong China and Afghanistan were put together in Group B. The top two teams from each group will move to the next round, which is the Super Four stage. In the Super Four stage, four teams will play against each other and the top two teams will clash in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 which will be played on September 28. From Group A, India have already qualified, while from Group B. with two wins, Sri Lanka are strong favourites to qualify. Fact Check: Fake Andy Pycroft X Post Bashing Pakistan Players Goes Viral After PCB Demands Removal of Match Referee from Asia Cup 2025. India clashed with Pakistan on September 14, Sunday. It was an one-sided affair as India secured a dominant victory and gave Pakistan no chance to get into the game. Controversy sparked after the game when the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team avoided the compulsory handshake with the opposition after the game. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match press conference and the incident got fans from both sides talking. A video became viral on social media, where a Pakistan fan claimed that although Indian cricketers didn’t engage in handshake with Pakistan cricketers, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, who is currently a commentator, had handshake with Pakistan legend Wasim Akram in the commentary box. He even showed a picture of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis sharing commentary box with Sanjay Manjrekar, Irfan Pathan and Ravi Shastri from India. Former Australia star Matthew Hayden was also present. It created confusion among other fans and they shared posts asking if the picture of the India and Pakistan commentators working together is legit or not. Take a look at that viral claim. Fake Post Claiming Irfan Pathan Had Handshake With Wasim Akram Fan Wants to Confirm If The Picture is From Asia Cup 2025 ये तस्वीर दुबई की है? हाल की है या पुरानी? Just wanted to confirm! @BCCI pic.twitter.com/xncKEoh5Wf — richa anirudh (@richaanirudh) September 16, 2025 Did Irfan Pathan Shake Hands With Wasim Akram in Commentary Box? No. Irfan Pathan didn’t shake hands with Wasim Akram in the commentary box during Asia Cup 2025 as Irfan Pathan and Wasim Akram are part of the commentary panel for different languages. Irfan Pathan is part of the official broadcaster Sony Sports Network’s Hindi commentary panel, which includes Virender Sehwag, Ajay Jadeja, Abhishek Nayar, Vivek Razdan, Saba Karim, Atish Thukral, Gaurav Kapur, Samir Kochhar and does not have Pakistani in it. Wasim Akram, meanwhile, is part of the English commentary team alongside Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Robin Uthappa, Bazid Khan, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Urooj Mumtaz, Russel Arnold, Simon Doull, Mike Haysman, Matt Floyd, Athar Ali Khan, Ahmad Farhad Fidai, Sanjana Ganesan, Tanvi Shah. So, it is not possible for Irfan Pathan and Wasim Akram to be present together in a commentary panel as they are commentating in different languages in the Asia Cup 2025. Irfan Pathan Not Among English Commentary Panel in Asia Cup 2025 Sony Sports Network releases the names of the English commentators for Asia Cup 2025. #AsiaCup #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/hz9DVbDv6P — Cricholic Mrigankaaaa🇮🇳❤️ (@MSDianMrigu) September 8, 2025 The picture of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis sharing commentary box with Sanjay Manjrekar, Irfan Pathan, Ravi Shastri and Matthew Hayden, that went viral, is also an old image from ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Matthew Hayden is not the part of the English commentary team of Asia Cup 2025. Also, Sanjay Manjrekar has beard in his current look during the Asia Cup 2025 while in the viral picture, he has the clean shaved look. Athar Ali Khan With Sanjay Manjrekar in Commentary Box During Asia Cup 2025 In the comm box with Sanjay Manjrekar for UAE v OMAN #AsiaCup #abudhabi pic.twitter.com/g2xKGKi87G — Athar Ali Khan (@AtharAliKhan97) September 15, 2025 Wasim Akram also shared the original picture from the commentary during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on his ‘X’ handle. Wasim Akram’s Original Post With the Picture From Commentary Box Wasim Akram’s Post in 2023 Also, the Star Sports logo can be spotted in the uniform the members of commentary panel are wearing in the viral picture with the fake claim. In reality, Sony Sports Network are the broadcast partners of the Asia Cup 2025 and their logo can be spotted on the uniform of the current picture of the commentators. All these clearly show that an old picture was used to propagate a fake claim of Irfan Pathan and Wasim Akram having a handshake. Fact Check: Did Anurag Thakur, Jay Shah and Shahid Afridi Attend India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Match in Dubai? Here’s The Truth. Sanjay Manjrekar With Different Channel Logo’s In Asia Cup 2025 and Cricket World Cup 2023 Sanjay Manjrekar In Commentary Box During Asia Cup and Cricket World Cup (Photo Credits: @richaanirudh and @AtharAliKhan97/X) India vs Pakistan: Current Situation During the Asia Cup 2025 Unlike the other editions of the Asia Cup, in this edition, the two teams are facing off under the pressure of tensions between the neighbouring nations. After Operation Sindoor took place in May, the relationship between the two nations have broken down and are on an all-time low. There was considerations of whether India would boycott playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, or pull out of the competition. In the World Championship of Legends, the Indian side refused to play against Pakistan while in Hockey, the Pakistan team refused to visit India, the host nation of recent Hockey Asia Cup. Sentiments ran high among the fans that India should boycott the match and the tournament as well but the government provided green signal to BCCI for participation considering tournament obligations.