T20 WC | Suryakumar Yadav to not shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha at toss – Report

The Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav will not shake hands with his counterpart, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha, at the toss in Colombo on Sunday (Feb 15). The latest report suggests that Team India will maintain its stance of not honouring the compulsory handshake norm during and after the game with the Pakistani players at the T20 World Cup tie, with the two teams set for a marquee showdown.

An Indian Express report claims that the sources close to the information revealed that Suryakumar Yadav is highly unlikely to extend his hand for a mandatory handshake with the opposition’s captain, Salman Agha, in this case.

It all began when the Indian Team didn’t shake hands with Pakistan in the first of the three contested matches in the Asia Cup last year, post ‘Operation Sindoor’ amid rising tensions between the two countries. After the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year, where Pakistani-based terrorists killed 24 civilians in broad daylight, India retaliated with precise air strikes a fortnight later, escalating tensions.

Even though the Indian government took stern steps, cutting all ties with Pakistan, the two cricket boards decided to play at the multi-team event just a few months later in the UAE, facing immense backlash from the fans. While India faced off against Pakistan thrice in that tournament alone, they did not shake hands with the opposition even once.

Fast forward six months, and the two teams have come up against each other for the first time since the Asia Cup final, with all eyes on them to see if they will shake hands with the Pakistan captain or not. The reports, however, claim that it’s not going to happen, with Team India following BCCI’s directives of maintaining its earlier stance.

Major change in India’s playing XI

With the action moving to Colombo, the venue which remains under rain threat, the Indian team management is contemplating replacing seamer Arshdeep Singh with another spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, considering the favourable spinning conditions.

On the other hand, opener Abhishek Sharma is confirmed to return to the playing XI, potentially replacing Sanju Samson at the top. Abhishek missed India’s previous match against Namibia in Delhi due to a stomach infection and was treated at a Delhi Hospital.

The latest reports claim that he has regained full fitness in time for the Pakistan match, boosting India’s chances against its arch-rivals.