As the noise around the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup encounter grows louder, it is not just tactics and team combinations under scrutiny. On the eve of the February 15 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium, India captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed but did not settle the question that has lingered since the Asia Cup: will there be a handshake at the toss?
Suryakumar chose restraint over revelation. "We'll see about the handshake at toss. Wait for 24 hours," he said during the pre-match press conference, refusing to be drawn into a definitive position.
The remark keeps alive a storyline that has followed both teams since September, when India opted out of the customary pre-match handshake during the Asia Cup in Dubai. While the gesture is not mandatory
under ICC regulations, it has traditionally symbolised sporting courtesy between sides, something that has become increasingly layered in the context of this rivalry.
Suryakumar's response signals that the Indian camp is not prepared to make any public commitments ahead of the match. Instead, the decision appears to remain situational or at least strategically unannounced.
Salman Ali Agha on India vs Pakistan: "Cricket should be played in the right spirit"
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha struck a similarly measured tone when asked about the same issue earlier in the day. "We will see tomorrow," Agha said, keeping his answer deliberately open-ended.
However, he was clearer about what he hopes defines the contest. "Cricket should be played in (the right) spirit. My personal opinion may not matter. But cricket should be played according to how it has always been meant to be played. It's up to them to decide what to do. "
Since the Asia Cup, pre- and post-match handshakes between the two sides have largely been absent. There is no publicly stated Indian government directive on the matter, though the team's approach is typically aligned with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
For now, the handshake question remains unresolved. And in a rivalry where even the smallest gestures carry symbolic weight, what happens or does not happen at the toss could once again become part of the narrative.
The cricket will begin shortly after. But first, all eyes may be on those few seconds before the coin even lands.
