A pre-match moment between the captains of Pakistan and India attracted attention during their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 encounter in England, as Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur once again appeared to avoid a traditional handshake with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana at the toss.
The incident took place ahead of the highly anticipated group-stage match between the two arch-rivals.
Television footage showed the captains standing together during the toss ceremony, but no customary handshake was seen, prompting discussion among fans and commentators on social media.
The development is being viewed by some observers as a continuation of India's reported “no-handshake” approach towards Pakistan, which has been noticed in several men’s and women’s cricket matches since the 2025 Asia Cup.
Similar scenes were also witnessed during the 2025 Women’s World Cup and other Pakistan-India fixtures, where the customary exchange of handshakes between captains was absent during official ceremonies.
The issue has generated mixed reactions on both sides of the border.
Some Indian media reports and commentators have linked the practice to broader political tensions between the two countries, while many in Pakistan have criticized it as being contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship and the traditions of international cricket.
Neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nor the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had issued any official statement on the latest incident at the time of filing this report.
Reporter: Mian Iftikhar Ramay