Amid the tension between India and Pakistan, the ‘no handshake’ stance emerged again as the two rival countries will face each other on the cricket field yet again, and that is for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Will India take a step forward to shake hands with the Pakistan cricket team?
India captain Suryakumar Yadav had to face the question ahead of the India vs. Pakistan match, which will be held on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo. Instead of delivering a clear, straight reply, Yadav chose to continue the suspension. In reply, he said, “Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, and we will see tomorrow.”
Whether Indian team will shake hands with Pakistan players.
Suryakumar Yadav: Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow.#INDvPAK
— Devendra Pandey (@pdevendra) February 14, 2026
Why there was drama?
The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match is all set to be held after a lot of drama. The drama continued outside the ground for weeks. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Government of Pakistan were threatened to not take the field to show solidarity with Bangladesh.
Then, the International Cricket Council (ICC) arranged a meeting to ease the situation. The meeting between the ICC and PCB was held in the presence of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) representatives, as they were in the center of the stage. PCB, led by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also a minister of Pakistan, went against the ICC, as the ICC ejected the Bangladesh cricket team from the elite tournament.
Why did ICC eject Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026?
Bangladesh did not want to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup matches, citing ‘safety and security’ concerns over their players. In the end, ahead of the general election in Bangladesh, PCB reconsidered their boycott decision.
During the Asia Cup 2025, the diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan worsened following Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pehelgam.
After those two incidents, when India went to face Pakistan on multiple occasions in the Asia Cup 2025, Suryakumar Yadav and his boys refused to shake hands with the Pakistan cricket team, which added another layer of tension between India and Pakistan.
Suryakumar Yadav replied in style
Will India continue their no handshake policy in the T20 World Cup 2026 too? That was the question Suryakumar Yadav had to face ahead of the match. In reply the skipper said, “Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, and we will see you tomorrow.”
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also had to face a similar query. Agha said, “We want the game to be played in good spirits. The game should be played like it has been played since it started. Toss cannot decide the game. If you play good cricket, you’ll win. Cricket will matter; the toss won’t.”
Read More: India, Pakistan players ready to shake hands in T20 World Cup 2026 as handshake boycott ends
