IND vs PAK at T20 World Cup 2026: India captain Suryakumar Yadav maintained the status quo on the traditional pre-match handshake with Pakistan captain Salman Agha in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 group A game in Colombo on (Feb 15). The two captains did not shake hands as Suryakumar walked past his Pakistan counterpart who had won the toss and opted to field first.
The decision follows a similar stance taken during last year’s Asia Cup, after heightened tensions following ‘Operation Sindoor’. During the Asia Cup, the Indian team did not shake hands with their Pakistan counterpart and the incident became a recurring talking point whenever the two sides met. India also did not accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan government official Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final.
IND vs PAK: What had Suryakumar Yadav said at the pre-match press conference
Asked about the handshake ahead of today’s match, Yadav had said: “You will see in 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow.” Pakistani captain Salman Agha also indicated that his team’s response would depend on India’s move at the toss.
The Indian team’s decision comes amid lingering tensions between the two cricket boards. The Pakistan Cricket Board had earlier threatened to pull out of the T20 World Cup after Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland, alleging unfair treatment by the BCCI.
Former India batsman and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, meanwhile, criticised the move on social media, calling the decision “silly” and questioning its alignment with the spirit of the game.
Today’s clash will not only be a high-stakes sporting contest but also the latest episode in the ongoing off-field tensions between the two neighbours, with millions watching closely across the subcontinent.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup squads
India: Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay