India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan captain Fatima Sana did not shake hands at the toss ahead of their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match in Dubai on September 5.
After political tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, and subsequently Operation Sindoor which both happened in 2025, India and Pakistan have not shaken hands at any of their meetings across men’s and women’s cricket in over the last year.
Harmanpreet and Fatima did not shake hands when the two sides met at the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier in the year either.
The Women’s Cricket World Cup guidelines, set by the International Cricket Council (ICC), do not make handshakes between players compulsory, and action can only be taken against teams or players if their conduct doesn’t uphold the spirit of the game.
Published on Sep 05, 2026
