![India Pakistan Handshake Drama Erupts Again [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1781073595251_INDPAKHandshakeT20WorldCup.jpg?type=hq)
India Pakistan Handshake Drama Erupts Again [Source: X]
Just days ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan captain Fatima Sana came face-to-face during the captains' event hosted by the ICC.
The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to begin on June 12 in England, and in a high-profile Group A clash, archrivals India and Pakistan will come face-to-face on June 14.
Harmanpreet Kaur denies a handshake to Fatima Sana
Having said that, ahead of the big game, the handshake controversy has returned. During a pre-tournament event, all the team’s captains met the fans, signed some autographs and clicked pictures as a part of the fan engagement activity.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana also joined the proceedings, and when the Indian captain was clicking a selfie, the Pakistan captain leaned in for what looked like a handshake.
However, Kaur denied it and continued to engage with fans. Fatima was taken aback, and she also resumed interacting with the supporters by signing autographs.
But this whole moment was caught on camera and went viral on social media. The handshake controversy is expected to continue during this T20 World Cup as India and Pakistan gear up to clash on June 14.
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The timeline of the handshake controversy
Having said that, the handshake controversy began after the Pahalgam terror attack deteriorated the diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan, resulting in brief armed conflict near the border.
A few months later, India beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, and after the match, Indian players did not participate in the traditional post-match handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.
The PCB objected to this incident and threatened to boycott the tournament. However, the ACC intervened and calmed things down. However, India continued to ignore Pakistan players and refused to shake hands during the final as well.
This left PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi embarrassed as he ran away with the Asia Cup trophy and asked India, the winner, to collect it from him. But the men in blue refused and celebrated their triumph with the silverware.
Jay Shah shakes hands with Fatima Sana
Interestingly, ICC chairman Jay Shah added more fuel to this controversy when he was seen shaking hands with Pakistan Women captain Fatima Sana during the pre-tournament event ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Fans slammed him, as they believe Shah should also follow the ‘no-handshake’ policy. However, it's important to note that Jay Shah is no longer the BCCI secretary.
As an ICC chairman, he represents all 108 ICC member nations and is expected to remain neutral. From that perspective, greeting every captain equally is part of his official responsibilities rather than a political statement.
Hence, the issue is being out of proportion as Jay Shah's stand appaears correct in this sense.
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