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India and Pakistan skip handshake at Women’s Asia Cup 2026 opener
Confirmed
In Short: India and Pakistan cricket teams continued their handshake boycott during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 opener in Dubai.
The tradition of avoiding handshakes between Indian and Pakistani cricket teams has persisted, with the two sides skipping the customary pre-toss pleasantries during their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 5, 2026.
This gesture, which began with senior teams and has now extended to Under-19 World Cup and Asia Cup Rising Stars meetings, was notably observed again at the Dubai venue, where India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana went through the toss without exchanging a handshake.
The handshake saga dates back to the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, with then-Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav refusing to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha during a previous fixture.
The absence of handshakes has become a recurring theme in the rivalry between the two nations, symbolizing the ongoing tensions despite the sporting spirit.
This tradition, while a symbol of the broader geopolitical relationship, continues to be a part of the cricketing narrative between India and Pakistan.
Background
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population in the world as of 2023.
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- India won the match, after which Yadav dedicated the victory to the Indian Armed Forces.
- This was followed by India refusing to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman who is also president of the Asian Cricket Council.
- The following month, the Indian women’s team followed suit, avoiding the gesture during a Women’s World Cup match in Colombo.
- The wickets were shared around, with Prema Rawat and Sree Charani picking up three apiece, while Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma also chipped in to keep the pressure firmly on Pakistan.
- No answer to India's spin - It was a 27-run opening stand up top, and that was as good as it got for Pakistan.
- Once India broke the opening stand, it was a procession from there as the Indian spinners spun a web around the Pakistan batters.