The build-up to the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash has been dominated not just by cricketing questions, but by a recurring off-field query: will the two sides shake hands?
At the pre-match press conference, Pakistan captain Salman Aga remained non-committal when asked if his players would shake hands should India initiate the gesture. “We will know tomorrow,” he said, refraining from giving a definitive answer. He did, however, emphasise that the spirit of cricket should prevail, and that both teams were expected to play the match in good faith.
India captain Surya Kumar Yadav also chose caution when asked the same question. “We will think about shaking hands at the toss. Wait 24 hours. We will play good cricket first, and then decide. Sleep well and eat well, just wait 24 hours,” he told reporters, signalling that on-field performance would take precedence over ceremonial gestures.
Tensions between the two nations have added extra weight to the fixture. Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, political hostilities have spilled over into cricket, and the handshake question has become symbolic of this larger rivalry. During last year’s Asia Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other three times without a single handshake between captains Surya Kumar and Salman. Similar incidents were noted in the Asia Cup Rising Stars matches, the women’s World Cup, and the recent Under-19 World Cup.
