T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav Deflects Handshake Question Ahead of India-Pakistan Clash, Says ‘Wait for 24 Hours’
India and Pakistan are set to face off in the T20 World Cup on Sunday (Feb 14) as the two arch-rivals meet following a period of uncertainty. The highly anticipated encounter will take place after Pakistan had earlier threatened to pull out of the fixture. A series of discussions involving the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ultimately resulted in the boycott threat being withdrawn. Meanwhile, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose not to engage with questions about handshakes with Pakistan players.
Surya deflects handshake queries
“Wait for 24 hours for that. Why are you highlighting that? We are here to play cricket, we will play good cricket, we will take all those calls later tomorrow, wait for it, eat well and sleep well. We will see tomorrow,” Surya said while addressing the media in Colombo. The Indian skipper emphasized that the Pakistan match will be treated as just another game, with the team starting afresh. India’s approach remains straightforward view the contest as any other fixture and focus on securing the two points.
“Whenever you play a fresh game, you have to start from zero. You can’t carry the past or the history of the game on the ground. Because sometimes, it creates a little complacency. You go a little ahead of the game. If you want to stay in control and have a relaxed mind, then it’s important to start fresh,” Surya added ahead of the high-stakes encounter.
The fixture was previously uncertain after the Pakistan government declared a boycott in support of Bangladesh, who were subsequently replaced by Scotland. However, the ICC successfully salvaged the match after several rounds of negotiations in Lahore. India will be aiming to strengthen their dominant T20 World Cup record against Pakistan, having suffered defeat just once. Sunday’s meeting marks the ninth clash between the two nations in the T20 World Cup, with India holding seven victories to Pakistan’s one across their eight previous encounters. Pakistan’s lone win over India came in October 2021 and remains their only triumph against the Men in Blue in any men’s senior World Cup fixture.