{"id":1285,"date":"2026-02-15T14:42:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T14:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2026-02-15T14:42:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T14:42:48","slug":"tensions-visible-as-pakistan-india-meet-in-world-cup-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=1285","title":{"rendered":"Tensions Visible As Pakistan, India Meet In World Cup Match"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOMBO:<\/strong> India captain Suryakumar Yadav once again skipped the customary pre-match handshake with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha as the arch-rivals faced off in a high-voltage encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the clash in Colombo, the Indian captain had urged fans to wait for the match day regarding the handshake issue, but he repeated his earlier stance, drawing renewed attention from cricket followers and analysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controversy follows similar incidents during last year\u2019s Asia Cup, where the two teams met three times and the Indian skipper declined handshakes on each occasion, prompting criticism from sections of the cricket fraternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between the sides have remained elevated since the two nuclear-armed neighbours were involved in a brief military confrontation in May 2025, which later de-escalated after diplomatic efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to media before the match, Pakistan captain Agha had expressed hope that the fixture would be played in the true spirit of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe game should be played in the true spirit. It has been the norm in cricket for years but whatever way they want, we will only know tomorrow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to a question about the handshake, Yadav avoided a direct answer and stressed the importance of the match itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow,\u201d he told reporters, adding that the game remained more important than ceremonial gestures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

COLOMBO: India captain Suryakumar Yadav once again skipped the customary pre-match handshake with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha as the arch-rivals faced off in a high-voltage encounter of the ICC… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[629,480,825,977,747],"class_list":["post-1285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-cricket-controversy","tag-pakistan-vs-india","tag-salman-ali-agha","tag-suryakumar-yadav","tag-t20-world-cup"],"yoast_head":"\nTensions Visible As Pakistan, India Meet In World Cup Match - World Watch Alert<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"India captain Suryakumar Yadav skips handshake with Pakistan\u2019s Salman Ali Agha again during T20 World Cup clash in Colombo.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=1285\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tensions Visible As Pakistan, India Meet In World Cup Match - 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