“India-Pakistan Players Shake Hands, Sit Together And Eat”- England Captain Sends Shockwaves

England Captain makes shocking claim on India-Pakistan [Source: @Crex_live/X.com]

Former England captain Alastair Cook made a shocking claim that rocked both the Indian and Pakistan fan bases. In a podcast, Cook claimed the ‘no handshake’ drama between the two teams is just for the cameras, as reality is often different from what's being portrayed.

India-Pakistan relations hit a new low after the Pahalgam terrorist attack that happened last year. Soon after, the political and military tensions spilled into the cricket field as well.

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Alastair Cook mocks India-Pakistan tensions

Since the Asia Cup 2025, Team India repeatedly refused to engage in customary handshake gestures with Pakistan. The same stand was again seen during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

While India bulldozed Pakistan in that game, the off-field drama continued to persist. However, former England great Alastair Cook added a new layer to this whole controversy.

Speaking on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, Cook said India and Pakistan players are, in fact, very cordial with one another behind closed doors. 

He added that the ‘no handshake’ drama is just for the optics, as behind the scenes, there is no animosity between the two rival teams.

“India and Pakistan skip the handshake just to put on a show for public. Behind closed doors everything is friendly they crack joke, share commentary, eat together, and even shake hands privately. No handshake is just for public," Cook said.

The claim by Alastair Cook confused the fans. Since the Pahalgam incident, India and Pakistan players have been seen having heated altercations on the field. Neither side tried to engage or hold any form of conversation whatsoever.

However, Alastair Cook shared a different opinion, as he firmly believes that both teams are cordial with each other.

India beat Pakistan in a high-pressure World Cup game

Meanwhile, on the field, India continued its dominance over Pakistan with a 61-run victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 game. After being asked to bat, India recovered from an early setback through a blistering 77 off 40 balls from Ishan Kishan, who set the tone with fearless strokeplay. 

Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav held the middle order together, and then Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh’s late knocks helped the team reach a respectable 175/7.

In reply, Pakistan’s chase never truly gathered momentum. Jasprit Bumrah struck twice inside the powerplay to dent the top order, and Axar Patel removed Babar Azam to tighten India’s grip. 

Usman Khan’s 44 was a brief resistance, but frequent wickets ended the hopes of a comeback. India’s spinners controlled the middle overs before Hardik Pandya cleaned up the tail, sealing a comprehensive victory in this high-pressure contest. 

Can India face Pakistan again in the T20 World Cup?

Interestingly, India and Pakistan will not be able to meet again in the Super 8 rounds of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as they are placed in different groups.

India are in Group 1 along with Zimbabwe, South Africa, and West Indies, while Pakistan are in Group 2 along with New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and England. With teams only playing others within their own pool, a second clash at this stage is not possible.

However, a rematch remains very much on the cards in the knockouts. For a semi-final meeting, both sides must finish in the top two of their respective groups. 

If India top Group 1 and Pakistan finish second in Group 2, or the other way around, they would cross paths in the last four.

There is also the tantalising prospect of a final showdown. For that to happen, both teams must first qualify for the semi-finals and then win their respective matches. Only then would fans witness another high-stakes India-Pakistan final.

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