SKY & Salman Agha ignoring each other (Source: AFP Photos)
In a significant development, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first in the high-stakes match against India in the T20 World Cup. At toss, the captains of India and Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha, ignored each other, as the 'no handshake' policy continued between the arch-rivals.
Suryakumar, Salman Agha avoid shaking hands at IND Vs PAK toss
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and invited India to bat to make the most of the overcast conditions at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, as expected, both captains refrained from shaking hands with each other, continuing the trend which originated during the Asia Cup 2025.
It's known to cricket fanatics around the world that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav avoided the post-toss customary handshake with his Pakistani counterpart due to the strained geopolitical relations between the countries in recent times.
As Pakistan was involved in the barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam, the Indian players opted against interacting with the Pakistani cricketers, with politics taking the centre stage during the Asia Cup.
In fact, Suryakumar Yadav refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi after the Men in Blue's title triumph. In retaliation, the PCB chief took the trophy away with him and India have yet to get it back from him.
Although there was some speculation that India would resume the tradition after Pakistan agreed to play the T20 World Cup match, the trend continued, with both the captains avoiding each other at the toss. There is no evidence of their interaction during the toss either, hinting that the much-talked-about 'no handshake' policy will likely continue after the match as well.
India-Pakistan rivalry rocked by political controversy
The infamous Pahalgam terror attack, followed by the Operation Sindoor, significantly affected the cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. In retaliation to the Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack, India launched a military operation, successfully destroying multiple terror bases on Pakistani soil.
India's reactionary move led to a military conflict between the neighbouring nations, eventually affecting their cricketing relations during the Asia Cup.
After the BCCI expelled Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 due to worsening political relations with Bangladesh, the latter refused to tour India for the T20 World Cup. When the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, Pakistan sided with the BCB, refusing to play against India in the tournament.
However, the ICC finally entered conversation, holding a trilateral dialogue and convincing Pakistan to withdraw the boycott. Thus, cricket took the back seat, with politics determining the fate of the mega clash much before the tournament began.
India lose Abhishek Sharma early vs Pakistan
Meanwhile, India were off to the worst possible start to the high-profile encounter against Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma departed for a duck, as Salman Ali Agha emerged as his nemesis. However, riding on Ishan Kishan's fireworks, India have raced to 42 for one in 5.1 overs, as of writing.
