The ‘No Handshake’ controversy is in the news before the India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026. Sanjay Manjrekar termed this policy wrong, while Suryakumar Yadav refrained from reacting. Know what Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga said?
IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026: The atmosphere has heated up before the India-Pakistan match in Colombo. Meanwhile, now a new controversy is in discussion. Before this big match of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions on India’s ‘no handshake’ policy against Pakistan. He has called this decision foolish and not good for a big cricketing country.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s statement: Either play the right way or don’t play at all
Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on his X handle that the rule of ‘no handshake’ that India has started is beyond comprehension. A big country like India should not take such a step. He said that if both the teams are playing face to face on the field, then the spirit of the game and traditions should be respected. Manjrekar believes that either the competition should be played with full sporting spirit or not be played at all.
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Why and where did the ‘No Handshake’ policy come from?
In recent months, the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams have adopted a ‘no handshake’ policy against Pakistan. This issue was also discussed a lot during the Men’s Asia Cup 2025. This decision was taken after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In that attack, Pakistani terrorists had killed 26 innocent people.
Suryakumar Yadav’s reply: “We have come here to play cricket”
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was seen avoiding giving a direct statement on this issue. He said, wait for 24 hours. We have come here to play cricket. It is clear from his statement that the team does not want to say much on this topic publicly and wants to keep the entire focus on the match.
What is Salman Ali Aga’s reaction?
Pakistan team captain Salman Ali Aga said that cricket should always be played with the spirit of the game. His team is ready for the traditional handshake. Salman also said that the final decision is in the hands of India, but sportsmanship should be supreme in cricket.
Controversy also arose in Asia Cup 2025
Pakistan had expressed displeasure when Suryakumar Yadav refused a handshake during the Asia Cup 2025. There was even a threat to boycott the tournament for some time. However, later the Pakistani team continued to play in the tournament.
Eyes will be on ‘handshake moment’ in Colombo match
Now runs and wickets will not be the only topic of discussion in this high-voltage match to be held in Colombo. The possible ‘handshake moment’ before and after the match will also be in everyone’s attention. India-Pakistan contest is always associated with emotions. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see whether there will be a traditional handshake this time or Team India’s ‘no handshake’ policy will continue.