Indian skipper again skips handshake with Pakistani captain
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav once again skipped a customary handshake with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha as the arch-rivals met in a high-voltage clash at the T20 World Cup.
Ahead of the clash at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Indian skipper had asked people to wait for today's match — but he repeated his previous action.
In last year's Asia Cup, the two sides had met thrice, and Yadav refused to shake hands every time, a move which has prompted criticism from India as well.
The tensions were running high as the Asia Cup tournament was the first since the two nuclear neighbours went to war in May 2025, which eventually ended after mediation from the United States.
The Pakistan captain had hoped that the players would shake hands, unlike during their three Asia Cup matches in Dubai last year.
"The game should be played in the true spirit of the game," Agha told reporters in Colombo on Saturday.
"It has been the norm in cricket for years but whatever way they want, we will only know tomorrow."
For his part, the Indian skipper avoided directly answering a question regarding the handshake, stressing that the fixture was more important than handshakes.
"Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow," Yadav told reporters.
"Let's break the suspense tomorrow. I just spoke about it. What's more important? You tell me. The game is important. Let's play the match first. Whether the handshake happens at the toss or not, we will see that tomorrow. Let's just wait 24 hours," he added.
Source: Geo News
