Suryakumar Yadav chooses not to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha at the toss

India captain Suryakumar Yadav didn’t shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha at the toss of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match on February 15, continuing the stance that has been in place since the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai.

India have maintained their position across all age groups in men’s and women’s cricket. Players from the two nations have not shaken hands since the Continental Cup, following the terror attack in Pahalgam.

“We were looking to bat first as we have won the previous two matches while defending the total. We don’t want to change anything. It is easy to call it another game but the stakes are high. On a given day, if you are performing well, then anyone can have a good day. We have two changes. Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav are in for Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh,” Suryakumar Yadav said.

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha decided to bowl first because of the pitch. “We are bowling first as the wicket looks a bit tacky. The pitch will help the bowlers in the first few overs and we want to take advantage of that. We are relaxed and looking forward to the challenge,” Agha said.

In the lead-up to the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he believed it was up to the Indian players to decide whether they would shake hands with his team before and after Sunday’s game.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, for his part, was non-committal.

“Why are you highlighting that?” Suryakumar asked reporters on the eve of the game. “We are here to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls tomorrow. We will see tomorrow.”

Pakistan’s government threatened a boycott of Sunday’s match after the International Cricket Council kicked Bangladesh out of the World Cup for refusing to play matches in India, citing security concerns.

Pakistan only agreed to play after intense discussions with the ICC. The fixture is the major revenue earner for the ICC.

Tensions came to a head in the Asia Cup when Suryakumar refused to shake hands with Agha. Heated moments followed between the two sides throughout the tournament, with Suryakumar and Pakistan’s Haris Rauf fined for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.

India went on to win the Asia Cup but refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

“The game should be played in real spirit, the way it has been played since it started. The rest is up to them (India), what they want to do,” Agha told the media on Saturday about the possibility of the players shaking hands.

Political and military tensions have meant the two teams have not played a bilateral series for years.

India has not traveled to Pakistan since 2008, and Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023 but has since played ICC tournaments at neutral venues.

India has defeated Pakistan 12 times in the 16 T20 games they have played. It also has an impressive 6-1 record in the eight T20 World Cup matches since the first edition in 2007, with one being tied.

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