India and Pakistan’s latest meeting at the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai brought one of the most unusual features of their cricket rivalry back into focus — the handshake, or the absence of one. What would ordinarily have been an unremarkable sporting courtesy has become a closely watched part of every encounter between the two countries over the past year.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana did not exchange the customary handshakes and avoided eye contact during the toss of their latest encounter, continuing the practice that has followed their cricket teams since the men’s Asia Cup last year. It meant that despite another change of tournament and personnel, there was no change in India’s approach towards its neighbours. Even after the national anthems of the two teams, the two units walked their separate ways.
How the India-Pakistan handshake row began
The unusual practice first became a major talking point during the men’s Asia Cup in September 2025, months after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. India’s players avoided handshakes with their Pakistan counterparts during the tournament, including after their first meeting, when captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the victory to the Indian armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam attack.
The approach subsequently extended beyond the senior men’s team. When India and Pakistan met at the Women’s ODI World Cup in Colombo in October 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates also stayed away from the customary post-match handshake. Similar scenes subsequently followed in other India-Pakistan cricket encounters, including age-group competitions and the 2026 T20 World Cups.
{{/usCountry}}The approach subsequently extended beyond the senior men’s team. When India and Pakistan met at the Women’s ODI World Cup in Colombo in October 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates also stayed away from the customary post-match handshake. Similar scenes subsequently followed in other India-Pakistan cricket encounters, including age-group competitions and the 2026 T20 World Cups.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the Women’s Asia Cup, India head coach Amol Muzumdar had declined to reveal what the team would do against Pakistan. Muzumdar said India were concentrating on cricket rather than “off-the-field stuff”, leaving the question unanswered until the teams actually met in Dubai.
Cricket’s approach, however, has not been replicated across Indian sport.
When India faced Pakistan at the men’s Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen on August 19, the players exchanged high-fives and greetings before the game. After India completed a 5-3 victory, players from the two teams also shook hands following the final whistle.
That made the hockey encounter a striking contrast to the scenes repeatedly witnessed in cricket — and ensured that the simple act of players greeting each other remained part of the wider conversation when India and Pakistan met again at the Women’s Asia Cup.