India captain Suryakumar Yadav did not exchange the customary handshake with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha at the draw of their T20 World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday, continuing the protocol that has been in place since last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai.
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India followed this position from the 2025 Asia Cup, extending it to age-group tournaments as well as men’s and women’s cricket. The players of the two sides have not shaken hands since last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai, which was held in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre and the subsequent Operation Sindoor led by the Indian armed forces.
“(Do you mind batting first?) Not at all. We wanted to bat first. We’ve seen the results here and in the last two games we’ve batted and won both games defensively, so we don’t want to change anything. (On a big occasion) I think it’s easy to say it’s just another game, but it’s an opportunity. These games are always very high, but the stakes are always high. It’s important. Stay present, prioritize your game and be yourself (Does form count?) If you’re doing well on any given day, anyone can have a good day.
India made two changes to their playing XIbringing in fit again Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav in place of Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bowl in the high-voltage Group A match. Pakistan named an unchanged team. “It (the pitch) looks a bit unsightly so we feel it will assist the bowlers in the first few overs so we want to take advantage of that. We are relaxed in our group and excited for the challenge. Bigger pitch than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said.
The no-handshake stance first became a major flashpoint during last year’s Asia Cup, when Suryakumar’s refusal reportedly drew strong reactions from Pakistan and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Pakistan briefly threatened to boycott their next match before eventually continuing with the tournament.
Controversy dragged through the competition and resurfaced during the finals. After defeating Pakistan, India did not accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the ACC chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister. The Indian team is yet to receive the trophy after Naqvi took it back with him.
IND vs PAK: PLAYING XI
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 15, 2026