Colombo: Another India versus Pakistan clash is just hours away, this time in the T20 World Cup, at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
There is forecast for rain on match day, but that has hardly dampened spirits and enthusiasm among fans of the two arch-rivals.
India hold a commanding 7-1 lead in T20 World Cup head-to-head record against Pakistan.
Even as Indian fans are confident of the men in blue extending their stranglehold over the green brigade in the marquee clash, cricket followers are curious to see if the two captains and players shake hands before and after the game.
Suryakumar Yadav’s team made headlines at last year’s Asia Cup in the UAE by avoiding handshakes before and after their three clashes against Pakistan, a fallout of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April.
Will there be a change in stance this time?
Suryakumar was tight-lipped on Saturday, refusing to commit.
“We’ll see about handshake at toss. Wait for 24 hours,” India’s T20 skipper said at the pre-match press conference.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha was a tad more expressive on the burning issue.
He hoped that the match will be played in true spirit.
“Cricket should be played in spirit. My personal opinion may not matter, but cricket should be played the way it has always been played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Salman said.
Asked whether he would be open to a handshake with Indian players, Salman didn’t give a straight “yes” or “no” answer, perhaps because he’s not sure about the Indian standpoint.
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” Salman said.
