No handshake at toss: India's stance against Pak continues despite calls for 'spirit'

NEW DELHI: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha did not shingle hands during the flip successful the T20 World Cup 2026 lucifer betwixt the arch-rivals successful Colombo connected Sunday, continuing India’s no-handshake argumentation against Pakistan.The customary motion was absent aft the toss, extending a stance that has been successful spot since the Asia Cup 2025 crossed men’s and women’s cricket.Agha won the flip and elected to vessel successful the Group A match, which was lone confirmed arsenic going up six days agone erstwhile the Pakistan authorities made a U-turn connected a menace to boycott the match.That the presumption quo volition beryllium maintained was wide erstwhile neither Surya nor Salman committed to shaking hands, portion the Pakistan skipper stated that helium would similar to "uphold" the tone of cricket.Ahead of the match, Suryakumar had declined to clarify his presumption astatine the pre-match property conference. "Wait for 24 hours. We are present to play cricket. Have bully nutrient and sleep," helium had said connected Saturday.While Pakistan skipper Agha had indicated that Pakistan were unfastened to the motion and that the determination rested with India. "Cricket should beryllium played successful the close spirit. My idiosyncratic sentiment whitethorn not matter, but cricket should beryllium played the mode it has ever been played.

It’s up to them to determine what to do," helium had said.During the Asia Cup, Suryakumar had declined to shingle hands with the Pakistan captain, which led to a absorption from Pakistan. They concisely considered boycotting their adjacent fixture successful the tourney earlier deciding to continue. The no-handshake argumentation remained successful spot for the adjacent 2 matches betwixt the teams.Earlier successful the day, erstwhile India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar criticised India’s no-handshake argumentation against Pakistan, calling it "silly" and saying it does not bespeak good connected a large cricketing nation."This ‘no shaking hands’ is specified a silly happening that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a federation similar ours. Either play decently wrong the tone of the crippled oregon don’t play astatine all," Manjrekar wrote connected his X account.Sunday’s improvement confirmed that the attack remains unchanged astatine the T20 World Cup.