Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur, Fatima Sana again skip customary handshake at toss
Harmanpreet walks away after toss discussion as Fatima remains with official
BIRMINGHAM: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana once again did not exchange the customary handshake during the toss ahead of their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 clash at Edgbaston on Sunday.
The latest instance came moments before the highly anticipated Group-stage encounter when India won the toss and elected to bat first.
Following the toss, Harmanpreet proceeded directly towards the match official to discuss her side's plans, team combination and playing XI.
After concluding her remarks, the India captain walked away, while Fatima remained engaged in conversation with the official.
The absence of the traditional handshake continued a pattern that has become increasingly noticeable in India-Pakistan cricket contests since late 2025.
Indian captains have reportedly adopted a consistent approach of avoiding the customary pre-match and post-match handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts across multiple international tournaments and formats, marking a departure from a long-standing cricketing tradition.
The trend first drew widespread attention during the ACC Men's Asia Cup in Dubai in September 2025.
On that occasion, India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates did not take part in the customary handshakes before or after their group-stage fixture against Pakistan. The approach was maintained throughout the tournament, including during the final.
Similar scenes were witnessed at subsequent ICC events. During the ICC U19 World Cup in Bulawayo in February 2026, India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre also did not exchange a handshake with Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf at the toss.
A month later, at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Colombo, Suryakumar again refrained from participating in the traditional handshake with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha before and after the teams' meeting.
The pattern continued at the ICC Women's ODI World Cup in Colombo in June 2026, where Harmanpreet and Fatima likewise did not engage in the customary handshake at the toss.
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