T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav continues ‘no handshake’ policy against Pakistan in Colombo

Pakistan`s captain Salman Agha (L) walks past his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav after the toss before the start of the 2026 ICC Men`s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Pic/AFP

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha during toss of their T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday, maintaining the status quo since the Asia Cup in Dubai last year.

"The No handshake Policy will continue," a BCCI official in Colombo confirmed to PTI an hour before the game.

There will also be no handshake between players and support staff of two teams after the end of the match, a norm that has been followed by Suryakumar as a mark of respect for the families of the victims killed in the Pahalgam terror attack and solidarity towards Indian Army in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.

That the status quo will be maintained was clear, when on the eve of the game, neither among Surya or Salman committed to shaking hands with the Pakistan skipper stating that he would like to "uphold" the spirit of cricket.

In case of the Indian team, the emotions of the Pahalgam terror attack in April remain raw. There was a huge backlash after Suryakumar shook hands with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the pre-tournament captain's press meet in Dubai.

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