The much hyped India vs Pakistan match of the 2026 T20 World Cup is officially back on track after days of uncertainty, political tension and backdoor dealings. The match will be held in Colombo on February 15 when Pakistan had a U turn at the last moment regarding its earlier decision not to play the match.
Pakistan’s Boycott Drama
The Pakistani government later that night on Monday night, confirmed that it would permit the national team to play against India to revive the enthusiasm surrounding one of the most intense rivalries in the world of cricket. Nevertheless, although the game itself has been verified, there is still a common question that lingers on the minds of people, and people ask, will there be any hand shaking between players on both sides? At this point, the answer is no.
IND vs PAK T20 World Cup Match: Will Captain Suryakumar Yadav Shake Hands With Salman Ali Agha?
Reportedly, there is practically no chance that Indian and Pakistani players will happen to shake hands before and after the match. Pakistan had already complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the matter of handshakes, when they planned to play India. The ICC, however, refused to intervene saying that such issues are within its mandate. Such an attitude is consistent with what has been occurring since the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. The two teams have since not shook hands in several tourism events such as last year’s Asia cup in which India and Pakistan faced each other thrice without sharing handshakes.
IND vs PAK Handshake Row
The trend has been pursued at different levels of the game such as Women world cup, ACC rising stars tournament and the recent Under19 world cup. The Indian board has insisted that shaking hands is a custom and no law can force players to shake hands. In one of the recent meetings in Lahore, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi referred to handshakes as a show of sportsmanship and requested him to resume the practice but the ICC came out clearly to explain that it would never impose such an activity. When the two teams are about to spar in a high voltage game in Colombo, the camera will definitely be fixed on the cricket itself, not whether the cricketing personalities will shake hands.
