The Indian cricket team will not be shaking hands with the Pakistan players in the group game of the ICC T20 World Cup that will be played in Colombo today. The Indian Express understands from those in the know that the team will maintain a status quo on the hand shaking tradition, with captain Suryakumar Yadav unlikely to extend his hand for the formal handshake with Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha at the toss. The Indian team didn’t shake hands with Pakistan during the Asia Cup last year too, post ‘Operation Sindoor’, as tensions between the two neighbours have not eased since last May’s hostilities. In cricket, it’s gotten worse. Pakistan had earlier announced a boycott of the India game in response to Bangladesh being ousted from the T20 World Cup, but backtracked on it, last week. The (non) handshake incident had become a talking point during the entire Asia Cup last year, and monopolised all discussions whenever the two sides meet. The Indian team also didn’t accept the Asia Cup Trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman and Pakistan government’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, after defeating their rivals in the final. The Indian team is still awaiting the Asia Cup trophy, after Naqvi took it away with him. When India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about shaking hands with Pakistan players, the skipper had refused to break the suspense, saying: “You will see in 24 hours.” He had quipped: “Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow,” he said. Earlier, Pakistan captain Salman Agha had also spoken on the same lines when asked if his team would respond if India chose to shake hands. “We will see it tomorrow.” The decision of maintaining the status quo hasn’t come as a surprise especially with a lot happening behind the scenes in the past month before ICC T20 World Cup was about to begin. The Pakistan Cricket Board had threatened to pull out of the World Cup after Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland. They had alleged that the Indian cricket board was bullying smaller teams. With the situation having hardly normalised, the Indian team will stick to their old stance. Meanwhile, former India batsman turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has called ‘no shaking hands’ a silly thing, started by India. “This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” Manjrekar posted on social media platform ‘X’.
Suryakumar Yadav to not shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha at T20 World Cup group game toss
