India vs Pakistan: 'No Handshake' In Women's WC. Harmanpreet Kaur, Fatima Sana Stick To Business
Women's World Cup 2025 no-handshake row: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana avoid friendly gestures.
- India and Pakistan captains did not shake hands before the 2025 Women's World Cup match in Colombo
- Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and chose to field first against India in the match
- The Indian women's team is expected to maintain the same stance against Pakistan throughout the World Cup
The Women's World Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday started exactly as expected, as no handshake was exchanged between the two captains on the field. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her counterpart Fatima Sana went ahead with the game after the completion of the toss without engaging in the customary handshake, as was anticipated. The BCCI had reportedly conveyed the players to avoid customary handshake with members of the Pakistani team. Mel Jones conducted the toss and both the captains maintained their distance during the ceremony.
It was Fatima Sana who won the toss and opted to field first. India had to make an unfortunate change in the playing XI for the match due to an illness. Here is what both captains said at the toss:
India Captain, Harmanpreet Kaur: "We played a good series here before the WC. We're thinking positively and are looking to do well. One unfortunate change - Amanjot isn't playing (she's ill), Renuka Thakur replaces her. We've gelled well as a team and are looking forward to today's contest," Harmanpreet said.
Pakistan Captain, Fatima Sana: "We're going to bowl first; looks like there could be some moisture on the wicket. One change for us. Our confidence is great; hopefully, we'll play better today. Anything under 250 could be a good chase," she said.
No handshake between India and Pakistan women's team captains during the toss ahead of their first World Cup face-off.
— Abdul Wasey Naik (@WaseyNaik) October 5, 2025
Also, didn't Fatima Sana call tails? pic.twitter.com/XtsUQxfv1a
The Handshake Row in the Asia Cup 2025
The Asia Cup 2025 saw the 'handshake row' escalate after the Indian men's cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha. India's decision was made in the wake of worsened political relations with Pakistan, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack. The two teams played against each other three times in the tournament, including the final, but never shook hands.
The handshake row blew out of proportion after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi took the Asia Cup trophy and the winners' medals to his hotel room from the stadium after India refused to accept them from him.
To date, the trophy hasn't been handed over to India.
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