Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has termed India’s ‘no-handshake’ policy against Pakistan as “absurd”, saying it is not befitting a major cricketing nation. This issue has again come into discussion before the India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026.
India has adopted a no-handshake policy against Pakistan in all age groups, male and female, since the Asia Cup 2025. The decision was taken in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians lost their lives, and the subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’ conducted by the Indian Armed Forces.
Manjrekar wrote on social media platform He says that if India is playing a match with Pakistan then it should behave in accordance with the spirit of the game, otherwise the match should not be played at all.
This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) February 15, 2026
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not take a clear stand on this issue in the pre-match press conference before the match in Colombo. He said, “Wait for 24 hours. We have come here to play cricket. Eat good food and sleep.”
On the other hand, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said that cricket should be played in the right spirit and his team is ready for the traditional handshake. He said, “Cricket should be played in the right spirit. My personal opinion does not matter, but cricket should be played the way it has always been played. It is up to them what they want to do.”
The controversy deepened after Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with the Pakistan captain during the Asia Cup. At that time, Pakistan had expressed its displeasure and warned of boycotting the next match, however, later the team continued playing in the tournament and the ‘no-handshake’ policy continued in the future matches also.
Now before this much-awaited match of T20 World Cup 2026, all eyes are on what stance the Indian captain takes. Sports experts believe that the competition inside the field may be tough, but maintaining the spirit of the game will be important for both the teams and the fans.
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