Indian Captain Suryakumar Yadav Rejects Shaking Hands With Pakistan Skipper Adding Fuel to Fire

After the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha departed after speaking to the presenter, noticeably snubbing Suryakumar Yadav by walking away.

Indian Captain Suryakumar Yadav Rejects Shaking Hands With Pakistan Skipper Adding Fuel to Fire

Suryakumar Yadav once again refused to shake hands with Salman Ali Agha during India-Pakistan clash. (via India Today)

In Short
  • Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha during the toss, continuing a no-greeting policy.
  • The lack of pleasantries between the teams reflects ongoing tensions following the Pahalgam terrorist attack and subsequent military standoff.
  • Usman Tariq's fiery send-off for Yadav after dismissing him added to the match's intensity, highlighting the rivalry between the two teams.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav maintained the precedent of not shaking hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha during the toss, ignoring pleas to uphold the ‘spirit of the game.’ Players from both teams avoided any greetings before their 2026 T20 World Cup encounter.

Players from India and Pakistan have not been on speaking terms, ever since relations between the two countries worsened in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack. The subsequent military standoff even brought the two countries to the brink of a full-scale conflict, until a ceasefire was mutually agreed upon. On the pitch, the Indian team, specifically, has continued this ‘no greeting’ norm across all four matches played against Pakistan since the 2025 confrontation.

During the 2025 Asia Cup, Suryakumar Yadav had refused to shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, a gesture that his teammates followed for the subsequent matches. The controversy did not end when Pakistan announced it would boycott its 2026 T20 WC fixture against India in solidarity with Bangladesh’s exit. Only after negotiating with the ICC did the PCB reverse its initial position.

Ahead of the high-profile Group A clash between the two sides, there was curiosity about whether the two rivals would exchange pleasantries, with tempers still running high since the Asia Cup showdown. At the pre-match press conference, Agha had in fact suggested that his players would be open to shaking hands with their Indian counterparts. However, the status quo remained, as Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav once again chose not to greet Agha during the toss.

The duo even avoided eye contact, maintaining a visible distance. It is ironic that the two captains have discarded the customary etiquette, despite their predecessors being seen exchanging greetings during pre-match shows. In fact, it was former Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram who walked down the aisle together, with the T20 World Cup trophy. Akram even met and shook hands with Harbhajan Singh.

The two teams refrained from exchanging pleasantries even at the end of the game, which India won by a significant margin of 61 runs. Pakistan chose to bowl first but were unable to restrict the Men in Blue, who posted a total of 175 runs, and Pakistan’s chase ultimately ended at just 114 runs.

Usman Tariq’s celebratory send-off for Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav sparks debate

The 2026 T20 World Cup showdown between India and Pakistan had its own moments of intensity, with the most notable one involving Suryakumar Yadav and Usman Tariq. The controversial Pakistani mystery spinner gave the Indian captain a fiery celebratory send-off after dismissing him.

Usman Tariq send-off to Suryakumar Yadav
Usman Tariq gave a fiery send-off to Suryakumar Yadav after dismissing him. (via Instagram)

Tariq has remained in the headlines for his unconventional bowling action. While being criticized for ‘chucking’ and ‘throwing’ the ball, the 28-year-old has enjoyed success, even picking up a hat-trick in his debut series against Zimbabwe. Against India, Tariq could not get a major breakthrough until his final over of the match, finishing with economical figures of 1/24 in his four-over spell.

His only wicket was Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, who was dismissed off the final ball of the 19th over after being caught at deep mid-wicket by Saim Ayub. As Yadav made his way back to the pavilion, the Pakistani spinner caused uproar with a celebratory gesture directed towards the Indian skipper. He bowled down at the batter, while Sky was left disappointed after getting out for just 32 runs off 29 balls. 

Moreover, Tariq’s gesture followed the pre-match buildup, where Yadav was captured mimicking the spinner’s signature ‘pause-and-deliver’ bowling action in the nets. In fact, the Indian captain played the Pakistani spinner with great composure.

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