‘No handshake’ again: Harmanpreet, Fatima avoid customary gesture at Asia Cup toss
Indian and Pakistani women's cricket captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana refrained from a customary handshake during the toss at the Women's Asia Cup in Dubai. This gesture continues a trend of avoiding physical greetings between the two teams during international matches.
Why it matters
The ongoing lack of handshakes highlights the persistent geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan that continue to influence international sports diplomacy.
NEW DELHI: The no-handshake saga between India and Pakistan continued in women’s cricket as Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana once again refrained from exchanging the customary gesture during the toss ahead of their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 clash in Dubai on Saturday.Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to bat first, with the latest India-Pakistan encounter beginning with the now-familiar absence of a handshake between the two captains.The no-handshake stance has continued across India-Pakistan cricket encounters since last year, with the protocol also observed when the two sides met during the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in Birmingham.The focus, however, quickly shifted to the contest itself, with Pakistan looking to post a challenging total after opting to bat.“We're gonna bat first because we want to put a maximum total here. [Did the last game influence this decision?]
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