Colombo, February 15 Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav will not engage in the customary handshake with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha during the toss of their T20 World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday, maintaining the status quo since the Asia Cup in Dubai last year.
"The 'no handshake' policy will continue," a BCCI official in Colombo confirmed, requesting anonymity.
There will also be no handshake between players and support staff of the two teams after the match, a norm that Suryakumar has followed as a mark of respect for the families of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack and in solidarity with the Indian Army following Operation Sindoor.
It was clear that this status quo would be maintained when neither Surya nor Salman committed to shaking hands, with Salman stating that he would like to "uphold" the spirit of cricket.
For the Indian team, the emotions surrounding the April Pahalgam terror attack remain raw. Suryakumar's handshake with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the pre-tournament captain's press meet in Dubai drew significant criticism.
