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Cricket PlayersIndian camp ‘more thoughtful than bullish’, but final call on Pakistan handshake not as straightforward: Report
The final call on whether the Indian players will shake hands with the Pakistani players will be taken once a nod comes from the higher authority.
If one drama ends, another has popped up. The decks might have been cleared for the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match between India and Pakistan to go ahead, but one needs to wait and watch regarding what happens on the field and, more importantly, whether the players from both teams exchange pleasantries after what happened in the Asia Cup. On the eve of the game, both Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha didn't reveal much when asked whether there would be handshakes between players from both teams.
While Agha said the call will depend on what India decides to do, Suryakumar remained tight-lipped, urging journalists to wait24 hours and see what happens on the field.
Now, according to a report by news agency PTI, the Indian camp is “more thoughtful than bullish” regarding the handshake bit, and the final call will be taken by the higher officials. Whatever they decide, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will follow.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav breaks silence on whether India players would shake hands with Pakistan in T20 World Cup
The Indian camp is also wary of the public sentiment in India after what happened last year during the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people lost their lives. If the Indian camp exchanges handshakes with Pakistani players, an extreme reaction could surface on social media.
India and Pakistan met three times in the Asia Cup, and the contests were ill-tempered, with tempers flaring. There were no handshakes, and some players, including Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, made provocative gestures.
Even Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi posted some questionable content on his X account, mocking the Indian team.
Speaking of the match between India and Pakistan, the latter received clearance to take the field earlier this week. Initially, the Government of Pakistan had announced that the team would boycott the match against India in solidarity with Bangladesh. However, once the ICC confirmed that no sanctions would be imposed on Bangladesh for not travelling to India for the World Cup, the Government of Pakistan made a U-turn, climbing down from their previous stance.
Naqvi to attend the India-Pakistan game
Naqvi, also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, is expected to attend the match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. From BCCI, president Mithun Manhas and vice-president Rajeev Shukla are also expected to make their presence felt.
Earlier, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Aminul Islam had revealed that he would also be flying down to Colombo to watch the India-Pakistan match. Islam is also expected to break the ice with the BCCI after what happened with Mustafizur Rahman and his release by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
"The ICC has made a decision. The major stakeholders of the ICC are these five Asian countries, and for the India-Pakistan World Cup match on the 15th, they want representatives of all five Asian countries to be present at the ground together, watch the match together and talk to one another," Islam had said while speaking to Bangladesh newspaper ‘Pratham Alo’.
