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India captain Harmanpreet Kaur once again became the centre of attention ahead of a high-profile clash against Pakistan after she appeared to snub a customary handshake with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana before the two sides met in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
The Group 1 encounter was one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament, but much of the discussion before the first ball revolved around the interaction between the captains. The incident continued a trend that has been seen in recent India-Pakistan meetings across multiple ICC and Asian tournaments.
Harmanpreet Kaur snubs handshake with Pakistan captain as trend continues
India and Pakistan locked horns in a crucial Group 1 fixture at Edgbaston, Birmingham. However, the focus before the match shifted away from cricket after Harmanpreet Kaur appeared to avoid a handshake with Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana.
The development comes amid a pattern that has emerged in recent India-Pakistan contests. During last year’s Women’s ODI World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana also did not exchange handshakes during the toss ceremony.
Since the Men’s Asia Cup last year, Indian teams have largely moved away from the traditional pre-match handshake with Pakistan players. The approach was first noticed during Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy tenure in the Asia Cup and has since been followed across several tournaments.
Similar scenes were witnessed during the Women’s World Cup, U19 World Cup, Rising Stars Asia Cup and the Men’s T20 World Cup. As a result, the possibility of players exchanging handshakes once again became a major talking point ahead of the latest chapter in the India-Pakistan rivalry.
While India have historically enjoyed the upper hand against Pakistan in ICC events, matches between the two sides continue to attract enormous attention both on and off the field.
What did Harmanpreet Kaur say on the handshake controversy before the India vs Pakistan clash?
On the eve of the match, Harmanpreet Kaur was asked whether there had been any communication from the BCCI regarding handshakes and whether the issue was something the players had discussed.
“Well, I think we are here for cricket, and we only talk about cricket; except for cricket, we don’t talk about anything, and I don’t even think about anything except cricket. Cricket has been our dream from day one, and we only talk about it. For tomorrow’s game, we are thinking of it as just another game we are going to play,” Harmanpreet told reporters.
The India captain also admitted that pressure is always part of India-Pakistan contests but stressed the importance of embracing the occasion.
“Definitely pressure is going to be there, which I earlier agreed to that, whenever we play against Pakistan, pressure will be there, but at the same time it’s only about how we are going to enjoy that pressure because in any International game, pressure is going to be there; it’s only about giving your 100% in that game and enjoying every moment,” she added.
What happened in the last India Women vs Pakistan Women T20 World Cup clash?
The last time India and Pakistan met in a Women’s T20 World Cup fixture was in Dubai during the 2024 edition. India produced a disciplined all-round performance to register a six-wicket victory while chasing a modest target of 106.
After opting to bat first, Pakistan struggled against India’s bowlers and finished with 105/8 in their 20 overs. Arundhati Reddy starred with the ball, claiming 3/19, while Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets and Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma and Asha Sobhana chipped in with one 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, but Shafali Verma anchored the chase with 32 runs. Jemimah Rodrigues added 23, while Harmanpreet Kaur played a crucial unbeaten knock of 29 before retiring hurt late in the innings. Despite a couple of quick wickets from Fatima Sana, India comfortably reached 108/4 in 18.5 overs to seal the contest 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.
