The tradition of no handshakes in the India vs Pakistan match continues. What began at the Asia Cup has continued in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.
The moment Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana came out for the toss at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, everyone was focused on what would happen. The interest wasn’t around the outcome of the toss but whether the two captains would greet each other.
No handshake in the Women’s IND vs PAK match
Harmanpreet and Fatima both looked spirited, but after the latter won the toss and opted to bowl first, they didn’t shake hands. Fatima stepped forward to explain her decision, and when it was Harmanpreet’s turn to talk, both just looked past each other. One can’t even say it was unexpected.
Things have been charged between India and Pakistan on the cricket field for the last month. It started with the men’s team in the Asia Cup, but got so out of control that it has seeped into the women’s game.
Before the Women’s ODI World Cup opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia had called Pakistan a hostile nation and suggested nothing would change from the Asia Cup.
“I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same; there is no change in the last week,” Saikia had told BBC Stumped.
Guess what? That’s exactly what’s happened. But the BCCI Secretary also assured that the India Women would follow all the necessary protocols. This we’ll have to wait and watch for, as the India vs Pakistan match unfurls.
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