Harmanpreet, Fatima Sana skip handshake again at Women's T20 WC toss
Synopsis
For the second successive ICC tournament, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana skipped the pre-toss handshake at Edgbaston — a gesture now absent across men's, women's, and age-group cricket between the two nations since the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
Key Takeaways
Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana skipped the handshake at the toss during the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group A clash at Edgbaston on 14 June .
This is the second consecutive ICC tournament where both captains have avoided the gesture, after it first occurred at the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup in Colombo.
The 'no handshake' trend spans formats: it has also been observed in men's T20Is, the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup , the U19 Men's Cricket World Cup , and the Rising Stars Men's Asia Cup .
The trend is linked to heightened bilateral tensions following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor .
India lead Pakistan 6-2 in Women's T20 World Cup meetings and have won 4 of their last 5 T20Is against them.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana once again skipped the customary pre-match handshake at the toss during their 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group A encounter at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday, 14 June. The gesture — or rather, its absence — has now become a defining feature of India-Pakistan cricket across formats and age groups.
A Trend Taking Root
This marks the second consecutive ICC tournament in which both captains have avoided the handshake at the toss. The pattern first emerged during the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. On Sunday, after India won the toss and elected to bat, Harmanpreet moved swiftly toward broadcaster Mel Jones for the post-toss interview, bypassing any exchange with Fatima Sana.
Broader Pattern Across Formats
The 'no handshake' dynamic is not confined to the women's game. It has been a consistent feature of India-Pakistan meetings since the 2025 Men's T20I Asia Cup in the UAE — a period that coincided with heightened diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha avoided handshakes across three meetings in Dubai and again at the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup clash in Colombo. The same conduct was observed at the U19 Men's Cricket World Cup and the Rising Stars Men's Asia Cup.
Harmanpreet's Pre-Match Stance
Asked ahead of the match whether she anticipated a handshake, Harmanpreet sidestepped the question entirely, keeping her focus on cricket. 'Well, I think we are here for cricket, and we only talk about cricket — except cricket, we don't talk about anything, and I don't even think about anything except cricket. Cricket has been our dream from day one, and we only discuss cricket. We are only thinking that it's another game that we are going to play,' she said.
On the pressure of an India-Pakistan contest, she added: 'Definitely, pressure is going to be there, which I earlier agree to that — whenever we play against Pakistan pressure will be there. But at the same time, it's only about how we are going to enjoy that pressure because in any international game, pressure is going to be there; it's only about giving your 100 percent in that game and enjoying each and every moment.'
Head-to-Head Context
India lead Pakistan 6-2 in Women's T20 World Cup meetings overall and have won four of their last five T20Is against them. Whether post-match handshakes between players from both sides will be extended after the Group A fixture remains to be seen — that tradition, too, has been conspicuously absent in recent India-Pakistan encounters.
Point of View
Cross-format statement that reflects the state of India-Pakistan relations as much as any diplomatic communiqué. What began with the men's teams has now filtered down to women's and age-group cricket, signalling institutional rather than individual choice. Mainstream coverage tends to treat this as a curiosity or controversy; it is more accurately a visible marker of how geopolitical rupture manifests in sport. The real question is whether cricket administrators — ICC, BCCI, PCB — will eventually be compelled to address the optics, or whether the 'no handshake' norm quietly becomes the permanent default for India-Pakistan fixtures.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana not shake hands at the toss?
The two captains skipped the customary handshake at the toss during the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group A match at Edgbaston on 14 June, continuing a trend seen across India-Pakistan cricket since the 2025 Men's T20I Asia Cup. The pattern is widely linked to heightened diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
When did the India-Pakistan no-handshake trend start?
The trend became prominent during the 2025 Men's T20I Asia Cup in the UAE and has since extended to women's cricket, age-group tournaments, and multiple ICC events. For the women's teams specifically, it was first observed at the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup in Colombo.
Which other India-Pakistan matches have seen the handshake skipped?
The handshake has been absent across the 2025 Men's T20I Asia Cup, the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, the U19 Men's Cricket World Cup, the Rising Stars Men's Asia Cup, and now the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup — spanning multiple formats and age groups.
What is India's head-to-head record against Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup?
India lead Pakistan 6-2 in Women's T20 World Cup meetings and have won four of their last five T20 internationals against them heading into the 2026 edition.
What did Harmanpreet Kaur say about the India-Pakistan match pressure?
Harmanpreet said the team's focus was entirely on cricket and that she does not think about anything beyond the game. She acknowledged that pressure is inevitable in India-Pakistan contests but emphasised that the key is to enjoy that pressure and give 100 percent.
