Harmanpreet Kaur Avoids Handshake With Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana At Toss In IND vs PAK ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Match
The deliberate omission continues a strict 'no-handshake' stance adopted by Indian cricket teams during recent cross-border matches against Pakistan across multiple formats and age groups.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur refrained from exchanging the traditional handshake with Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana during the toss for INDW vs PAKW ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture at Edgbaston on Sunday. The deliberate omission continues a strict 'no-handshake' stance adopted by Indian cricket teams during recent cross-border matches against Pakistan across multiple formats and age groups. India vs Pakistan, Live Score Updates, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
No Toss As India Maintains Policy
🚨INDIA HAVE WON THE TOSS AND DECIDED TO BAT FIRST🚨
No Handshake between India women and Pakistan women 👊#TeamIndia #T20WorldCup#WomenInBlue #INDWvsPAKW #XtraTime pic.twitter.com/VNOITBQrID
— XtraTime (@xtratimeindia) June 14, 2026
No Handshake At Toss
We will play as many matches as possible vs each other but won't do the handshake
— AdityaRRaj (@RR_for_LIFE) June 14, 2026
The pre-match coin toss at Edgbaston saw Harmanpreet Kaur win the toss and elect to bat first in India’s Group 1 tournament opener. While both captains stood side by side alongside the match referee for the official photograph, the customary handshake before or after the interaction was noticeably absent as reported by journalist, Sandipan Banerjee, who was present at the venue.
The cold exchange follows an identical incident that occurred during the 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup, where the two captains similarly avoided handshakes. This protocol has now permeated several tiers of regional cricket, including the men's senior Asia Cup, the Under-19 Asia Cup, and the Rising Stars Asia Cup tournament cycles. India vs Pakistan Free Live Streaming Online: Watch IND-W vs PAK-W ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 Match Telecast.
During the pre-match press conference on the eve of the high-stakes encounter, reporters questioned Harmanpreet regarding the ongoing no-handshake protocol and the underlying political friction between the neighboring nations. The Indian skipper offered a blunt, single-minded response, dismissing any off-field narratives.
"We are here for cricket, and we only talk about cricket," Harmanpreet stated to the media. "Except that, we don’t talk about anything, and I don't even talk about anything except cricket. Cricket has been our dream from day one, and we only discuss cricket and tomorrow's game."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2026 06:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
