Historic cricket rivalry between India And Pakistan During this time another in-depth chapter was added on and off the field ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Facing off in the sixth match of Group 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 14, 2026, the high-stakes opener attracted a massive crowd of 18,814 spectators. While the action on the pitch lived up to the billing, it was a frustrating pre-match moment between the captains that set social media on fire and kept a controversial modern cricket tradition alive.
Harmanpreet Kaur traditionally avoids handshake with Fatima Sana in another India-Pakistan meeting
The pre-game tension peaked during the coin toss when India captain Harmanpreet Kaur Won the flip and chose to bat first. Soon after making her decision, Harmanpreet clearly ignored the young Pakistan captain. fatima sanaWalk straight towards the broadcaster, bypassing the traditional handshake after the toss mel jones To interview him. Once the interview was over, the Indian captain immediately walked out of the presentation area.
This icy exchange was not an isolated incident, but a continuation of the strict, unwritten ‘no handshake’ policy adopted by Indian cricket teams during cross-border skirmishes. The Frosty Protocol first gained widespread public attention during men’s asia cup in 2025. Since then, the practice has spread to various levels of the game, manifesting in the Rising Stars Asia Cup. Under-19 Asia Cupand this Under-19 World Cup.
Notably, similar indifference was witnessed at last year’s Women’s World Cup when Harmanpreet avoided shaking hands with Sana after the match. When questioned about the repeated insults on the eve of the Birmingham clash, Harmanpreet firmly deflected media attention. He said the team was completely locked into its strategic game plan rather than being distracted by outside conversations.
Here is the video:
Gigachhad Harmanpreet Kaur 🔥🔥
Harmanpreet Kaur did not shake hands with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana and concentrated on work. . motiv🇮🇳🏏#INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/nOYUyN0dmj
– Farooq (@uf2151593) 14 June 2026
India registered an emphatic victory over Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 match.
Once the political tensions subsided, India’s batting unit performed brilliantly to post a strong score of 170/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite the initial shock when Shafali Verma Fell for just 6 runs in the initial over. Smriti Mandhana The anchor gave momentum to the innings with a brilliant performance. Mandhana scored 68 runs in 44 balls with the help of nine fours and two sixes at an excellent average of 154.54.
Captain Kaur played an inning of 36 runs in 35 balls, while the wicketkeeper burst in the late innings Richa GhoshWho scored 34 runs in just 17 balls at a strike rate of 200.00, taking India to a great score. For Pakistan, Saadia Iqbal (2/41) and fatima sana (2/33) Was the pick of the bowlers but suffered losses due to India’s attack in the final overs.
Placing Pakistan under severe scoreboard pressure, India’s bowling attack turned the second innings into a procession. After a good start by the opener, Pakistan’s innings while chasing the target collapsed rapidly. Muniba Ali (35 out of 41). spin magician Deepti Sharma Player of the Match: Delivered a brilliant spell, completely demolishing the middle and lower order and finishing with astonishing figures of 5 wickets for just 10 runs in his 4 overs.
supported by SricharaniIndia took 3 wickets for 21 runs and bowled out Pakistan for 106 runs in exactly 17 overs. Skipper Fatima Sana was dismissed by Verma for a duck as Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs as India got off to a great start to their World Cup campaign with a massive 64-run win.
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.