No handshake with Pakistan? Harmanpreet Kaur breaks the silence ahead of the big clash
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has refused to be drawn into the debate over whether her side will shake up Pakistan’s players ahead of their Women’s World T20 clash against the arch-rivals on Sunday (June 14). Indian women players are following a no-handshake policy with Pakistani players, starting with the 2025 men’s Asia Cup.
This trend continued in both the Rising Stars Asian Cup and the Asian Under-19 Cup, with the U-19 World Cup match between the two sides unfolding in a similar fashion. Harmanpreet did not shake hands with her Pakistani counterpart Fatima Sana at the Women’s World Cup last year.
The question had to be asked during the presser ahead of the big clash and Harmanpreet chose not to reveal anything on the eve of the match. Speaking to the media, the Indian captain said her side’s focus is on the game and nothing else.
“We are here for cricket and we (in the team) don’t talk about anything else,” Harmanpreet said.
‘ALWAYS PRESSURE BEFORE A PAKISTAN GAME’
India are 13-3 in T20I matches and lead 6-2 in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Despite this, Harmanpreet admitted that there is always pressure when it comes to matches in Pakistan and said the talk in the team is to go out and enjoy the field.
“I have experienced the pressure since I started watching cricket as a fan and now when I am playing, there is more pressure,” said Harmanpreet. “But we think it’s always better to enjoy these games. And more than anything, it’s just another game.”
Harmanpreet also wanted her side to go into the tournament aiming to start with a win and repeat the heroics of last year’s Women’s ODI World Cup.
“That first game always sets the tone for you and we’re all looking forward to the game,” she said. “We want to go into the tournament with the same positive attitude we had before the last ODI World Cup.
India are currently on a three-match winning streak in the Women’s T20Is against Pakistan.
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Published on:
13 Jun 2026 23:14 IST