India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana refrained from shaking hands during the toss for their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group A match at Edgbaston. This marks the second consecutive ICC event where both captains have skipped the customary handshake, following a similar incident during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Despite India winning the toss and opting to bat, Harmanpreet did not engage in the handshake with Fatima.
It remains to be seen if post-match handshakes will occur between the players, a practice that has been absent in India-Pakistan encounters. India holds a 6-2 lead over Pakistan in Women’s T20 World Cup meetings and has emerged victorious in four of their last five T20Is against them. The absence of handshakes has become a norm in India-Pakistan matches since the 2025 Men’s T20I Asia Cup, particularly following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha also refrained from handshakes during three encounters in Dubai and again at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo. This trend was observed in U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup and Rising Stars Men’s Asia Cup matches as well.
When asked about the handshake before the game, Harmanpreet focused solely on cricket, stating that their discussions revolve only around the sport. She emphasized the importance of handling pressure and enjoying the game, especially in matches against Pakistan, acknowledging the inherent pressure but highlighting the need to give their best and savor every moment on the field.
