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India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur once again became the center of attention ahead of the high-profile clash against Pakistan as she was seen avoiding a handshake with Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana ahead of the meeting between the two teams at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
The Group 1 encounter was one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament, but much of the talk revolved around the conversation between the captains before the first ball. The incident continued a trend that has been seen in India-Pakistan meetings in several ICC and Asian tournaments recently.
Harmanpreet Kaur refuses to shake hands with Pakistani captain as trend continues
India and Pakistan face each other in an important Group 1 encounter at Edgbaston, Birmingham. However, before the match all the attention shifted away from cricket when Harmanpreet Kaur was seen avoiding shaking hands with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana.
This development comes amid a pattern emerging in recent India-Pakistan encounters. During the Women’s ODI World Cup last year, Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana also did not shake hands during the toss ceremony.
Since the Men’s Asia Cup last year, Indian teams have largely moved away from the traditional tradition of pre-match handshakes with Pakistan players. This approach was first seen during the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup and has been followed in many tournaments since then.
Similar scenes were seen during the Women’s World Cup, U19 World Cup, Rising Stars Asia Cup and Men’s T20 World Cup. As a result, the prospect of the players shaking hands once again became a major talking point ahead of the latest chapter in the India-Pakistan rivalry.
While India has historically had the edge against Pakistan in ICC events, matches between the two sides have attracted huge attention both on and off the field.
What did Harmanpreet Kaur say on the handshake controversy before the India vs Pakistan match?
On the eve of the match, Harmanpreet Kaur was asked whether there was any communication from the BCCI regarding the handshake and whether the players had discussed the issue.
“Well, I think we are here for cricket, and we only talk about cricket; apart from cricket, we don’t talk about anything, and I don’t even think about anything apart from cricket. Cricket has been our dream since day one, and we only talk about it. As for tomorrow’s game, we are thinking of it as just another game that we are going to play,” Harmanpreet told reporters.
The India captain also admitted that pressure is always a part of India-Pakistan encounters, but stressed the importance of embracing the opportunity.
She said, “There will definitely be pressure, which I agreed with earlier, whenever we play against Pakistan, there will be pressure, but at the same time it is just about how we enjoy that pressure because in any international game there will be pressure; it is just about giving your 100% in that game and enjoying every moment.”
What happened in the last India Women vs Pakistan Women T20 World Cup match?
India and Pakistan last met in the Women’s T20 World Cup during the 2024 edition in Dubai. Chasing the modest target of 106 runs, India produced a disciplined all-round performance and won by six wickets.
After electing to bat first, Pakistan struggled against India’s bowlers and finished with 105/8 in their 20 overs. Arundhati Reddy performed brilliantly with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs, while Shreyanka Patil took two wickets and Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma and Asha Shobhana took one wicket each. Nida Dar top scored for Pakistan with 28 runs, but India never allowed the innings to gain momentum.
In reply, India lost Smriti Mandhana early for seven runs, but Shafali Verma chased down the target with 32 runs. Jemimah Rodrigues added 23 runs, while Harmanpreet Kaur played a crucial unbeaten inning of 29 runs before retiring hurt at the end of the innings. Despite some quick wickets of Fatima Sana, India comfortably won the match by scoring 108/4 in 18.5 overs with seven balls to spare.
Arundhati Reddy was named player of the match for her match-winning spell as India continued their dominance over Pakistan in ICC tournaments.
