Colombo, February 15 – The tension was palpable even before the first ball was bowled. India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha skipped the customary handshake at the toss, setting a fiery tone for their blockbuster Group A clash in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Minutes later, Agha won the toss and chose to bowl first on a surface that appeared slightly tacky and likely to favor fast bowlers in the early overs – a decision that could shape the outcome of this high-stakes match.
Both teams entered the marquee clash unbeaten. India lead Group A due to their superior net run-rate after wins against the United States in Mumbai and Namibia in New Delhi. Pakistan, based in Colombo, narrowly defeated the Netherlands before producing a stronger performance against the USA.
Defending champions India recalled Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav, replacing Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh. Abhishek returns after recovering from a stomach infection that sidelined him for the Namibia match.
“We wanted to bat first. We’ve successfully defended totals in the last two games and won both, so we don’t want to make any changes,” Suryakumar said. “It’s an important occasion, but the focus is on staying present and relying on our skills.”
Pakistan retained the same playing XI. Agha cited early assistance for bowlers and the venue's larger boundaries compared to the SSC as key factors behind opting to field first.
This stance has been evident in multiple tournaments, starting from the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, where Indian players opted out of pre- and post-match handshakes in all three encounters at the Dubai International Stadium.
The same was repeated during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup clash in Colombo and the Men’s U19 Asia Cup and World Cup matches. Earlier on Sunday, India A and Pakistan A also chose against shaking hands in their Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars match at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok.
The no-handshake approach has coincided with heightened political tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, when 26 people were killed, and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.
On the eve of the match, Suryakumar had hinted at the move, telling reporters in the pre-match press conference, “Just wait a bit, you will know tomorrow, just have your food, sleep well tonight.”
Agha, when asked for his view, said, “What I expect obviously doesn’t matter. But I feel that the game should be played in the same way as it has been since the beginning of cricket. The rest is up to them and whatever they want to do.”
Earlier, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar criticised India’s no-handshake policy against Pakistan, calling it “silly” and said it does not reflect well on a major cricketing nation.
“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” wrote Manjrekar on his X account.
In his pitch assessment, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja noted that concerns about rain had subsided. The straight boundary measures 84 metres, with square boundaries at 70 and 74 metres. Recent matches here have favored bowlers, with Blessing Muzarabani and Nathan Ellis both claiming four-wicket hauls by exploiting hard lengths.
History heavily favors India, who have won seven of their eight Men’s T20 World Cup encounters against Pakistan. The latter’s only triumph came in 2021, when Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan orchestrated a commanding 10-wicket win in Dubai.
Adding another tactical twist, all three previous World Cup games at this Colombo venue have been won by the team batting first – making Pakistan’s decision to chase a bold gamble under lights.
Playing XIs
India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
