IND-PAK T20: The atmosphere was tense even before the beginning of the India vs Pakistan match in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. During the toss, the India captain Suryakumar Yadav and the Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha failed to shake hands. This incident took place at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.After the toss, Agha decided to bowl. The wicket seemed to be a bit slow and favorable for the fast bowlers in the initial overs. Both teams were unbeaten in the important Group A match. India had previously beaten the USA and Namibia, while Pakistan had beaten the Netherlands and the USAIndia has made two changes to the squad. Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav are back in the playing XI, replacing Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh. Abhishek Sharma had not played the last match due to illness. Pakistan has also kept the same squad.Suryakumar Yadav said that India decided to bat first and defend the score, as they had done in their previous matches. Agha said that the pitch and large boundaries are the reasons he decided to bat first.The no-handshake tradition has been observed in recent India-Pakistan encounters, including the Asia Cup 2025. This is happening when there is political tension between the two nations.Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his disappointment with the tradition and stated that it does not represent the spirit of the game. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja stated that the conditions of the ground have recently favored the bowlers.In their past encounters, India have dominated Pakistan in T20 World Cups. They have won seven out of their eight encounters. Pakistan won in 2021.With emotions running high and both teams performing well, fans are eagerly waiting for another India-Pakistan encounter.
