historical rivalry between India And Pakistan Another intense chapter was added on Sunday, June 14, 2026, when the two sides clashed in the 6th match of Group 1. Women’s T20 World Cup. The high-stakes encounter, held at Birmingham’s iconic Edgbaston Stadium, attracted a massive crowd of 18,814, setting a new attendance record for a World Cup group match. While the action on the field kept fans on the edge of their seats, it was an amazing post-match moment that sparked widespread discussion across the cricket world.
Pakistan head coach addresses incident of not shaking hands with India
Despite the electric atmosphere and fierce competition, observers immediately noticed a conspicuous absence of traditional sportsmanship. From the coin toss to the last wicket, there was no handshake between the Indian and Pakistani players. The cold brought intense scrutiny during the post-match press conference, where Pakistan’s head coach, Wahab Riazwas directly questioned about the seemingly frosty relations between the two teams behind the scenes.
A reporter, acknowledging the sensitive nature of the topic, apologized for introducing a political angle to a sporting event, before asking Riaz whether players and support staff maintained a friendly or distant relationship away from the public eye.
However, Riaz strongly downplayed the situation and refused to fan the flames of controversy. “Look, I don’t know. I have left cricket long ago, so I don’t know the reason for not shaking hands. But I think if things have to go on like this, then let’s go on like that. It won’t make much difference,” the former Pakistan fast bowler replied. His dismissive stance indicated a desire to keep the focus on the game itself rather than the bilateral political tensions that often spill over into sports fields.
India dominated the Edgbaston match with the brilliant bowling of Deepti Sharma.
On the pitch, the match was entirely in the name of India’s legendary spinner. Deepti SharmaWho gave a masterclass in modern T20 bowling. India made a strong score of 170 runs, due to which Pakistan had to face a big challenge. Although Pakistan’s response began with brief promise, the wheels soon came off due to sustained pressure from the Indian bowling attack.
The turning point came in the 11th over when Deepti showed a magical moment on the field. from pakistan Muniba AliDropped twice, she was looking dangerous at 41 runs, but Deepti ran her out with a brilliant direct hit from backward point. When Pakistan captain fatima sana She fell shortly afterwards, lost at 77-5, the chase completely derailed.
After this, Deepti completed the last three wickets in just five balls with extraordinary figures of 5-10. This unprecedented spell officially made her the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20 International history with 166 wickets. supported by SricharaniTaking a clinical 3-21, India bowled out Pakistan for 106, securing a comprehensive 64-run win to begin their quest for the maiden Women’s T20 World Cup trophy.
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.
