The familiar India-Pakistan pre-match script played out once again as India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana did not exchange a handshake during the toss ahead of their Women's Asia Cup 2026 clash in Dubai on Saturday.
The absence of the customary gesture was immediately noticeable as the two captains met for the toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The moment comes amid the continuation of India's no-handshake stance in fixtures against Pakistan. Fatima won the toss and Pakistan will be batting first in Dubai.
No handshake, familiar India-Pakistan script
The development is not new to the two captains. Harmanpreet and Fatima had also avoided the customary handshake during their previous meetings, including the Women's T20 World Cup 2026.
The no-handshake stance has been followed by Indian teams in India-Pakistan fixtures since the 2025 Asia Cup. It has subsequently featured across several meetings between the two countries.
Harmanpreet had previously sought to keep the focus on cricket when questioned about the issue, saying that the team's attention was on the game rather than matters away from the field.
India have historically dominated the women's rivalry. They have won 14 of the 17 matches between the two sides, including five of their six meetings against Pakistan in the T20 format of the Women's Asia Cup.
The teams also met at the Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year, with India securing a comfortable victory.
