IND vs PAK: India-Pakistan players will be forced to do handshake in Colombo! What are the rules for ICC tournaments?

IND vs PAK: Colombo’s R in T20 World Cup today. There is going to be a big match between India and Pakistan in Premadasa Stadium. The biggest question before the match is whether the players of both the teams will shake hands?

For some time now, India has adopted a policy of not joining hands with Pakistan, due to which this discussion has heated up again. Let us know whether players of both the teams will shake hands this time as per ICC rules or not.

Surya’s answer to the question of shaking hands

When Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about the handshake in the press conference, he smiled and said, "Wait for 24 hours, you will know tomorrow. We have come here to play cricket, we will play good cricket." He talked about keeping it suspenseful and advised to focus on the match.

Pakistan captain Salman Aga also did not give a clear answer. He said, "It is up to India what decision they take. The match should be played in the right spirit." Both the captains did not directly say yes or no, which has increased the curiosity among the fans.

The root of controversy started from Asia Cup

It all started from the 2025 Asia Cup, when the Indian team stopped shaking hands with Pakistani players after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. There was no handshake in all three matches.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not like this and complained to ICC. PCB even said that if India is not ready to join hands then they will not play the match, but ICC rejected this demand.

What do ICC rules say?

It is not written anywhere in ICC’s Playing Conditions or Code of Conduct that it is mandatory to shake hands with the opposing team. This is just a tradition, which is done to show respect in the spirit of cricket. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)’s Spirit of Cricket also calls for good behaviour, but there are no strict rules.

Former umpires and BCCI officials have also clarified that handshake is not a legal requirement but a habit. Therefore ICC cannot take any action on this. At present it seems that India will stick to its old policy and will not join hands. However, what happens on the match field will be known this evening.