Top News

India-Pakistan Handshake Snub Saga: Did Harmanpreet Kaur Greet Rival Captain Before Asia Cup Clash?

Suyash Sahay | September 5, 2026 11:11 PM CST

IND vs PAK Handshake: India and Pakistan once again kept things strictly formal at the toss of their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 clash, with Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana not exchanging handshakes before the match in Dubai. The absence of the customary greeting has become a familiar sight whenever the two sides meet in recent times. Saturday's encounter continued that pattern, with the India and Pakistan captains going through the toss proceedings without the traditional handshake.

India-Pakistan Toss Sees No Handshake Again

Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to field, giving India a new challenge in the tournament after the Women in Blue had chased in their previous matches.

Pakistan also retained the same playing XI for the crucial Group A encounter.

While the toss itself was routine, the interaction between the captains attracted attention.

There was once again no handshake between Harmanpreet and Fatima, continuing a trend that has followed India-Pakistan fixtures since the men's Asia Cup in 2025.

That tournament was played shortly after the Pahalgam terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, and the traditional pre-match handshake between the two teams has been absent since then.

Handshake Tradition Missing From India-Pakistan Matches

India and Pakistan have met several times across men's and women's competitions since the 2025 men's Asia Cup, but the customary gesture between players and captains has remained missing.

The latest incident therefore adds another chapter to the increasingly familiar pre-match routine whenever the arch-rivals face each other.

As for this tournament's dynamics, the Women in Blue had already secured their place in the semifinals after two dominant victories over Thailand and Hong Kong, while Pakistan entered the game following a hard-fought win against Thailand.

The match also marked a major personal milestone for Harmanpreet. The India captain was set to lead her country for the 150th time in T20Is, becoming the first cricketer, male or female, to reach the landmark as a captain.