India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha once again avoided the customary handshake during the toss ahead of their blockbuster clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday.
The moment unfolded at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka, where the two captains did not acknowledge each other before proceedings began.
After winning the toss, Agha walked straight to the presenter without interacting with his Indian counterpart.
Suryakumar followed shortly afterwards, with no visible exchange between the two leaders.
The absence of a handshake continues a pattern seen in recent high-profile meetings between the arch-rivals. Players from both sides have avoided customary interactions since their group-stage encounter at the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai last year.
That fixture first drew attention when Suryakumar did not greet Agha at the toss. Following India’s victory, Suryakumar and teammate Shivam Dube returned to the pavilion immediately after the winning runs, further fuelling debate.
India and Pakistan met twice more in that tournament — in the Super Four stage and the final — with handshakes again absent.
After winning the final, India also declined to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and President of the Asian Cricket Council.
Similar scenes have since been witnessed across women’s, age-group and emerging competitions, including recent Under-19 tournaments, reinforcing a visible and ongoing trend.
Meanwhile, India scored 52 runs in the first power play by losing one wicket of Abhishek Sharma.
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