Colombo, Oct 5 (UNI) In a confusing start to the India-Pakistan encounter in the 2025 Women’s World Cup here, the toss was marred by a miscommunication, and, following a trend seen in men’s cricket, the two captains did not shake hands.
As ever with India–Pakistan clashes, the subtext was almost as compelling as the cricket itself. The “handshake row” that dogged the men’s team has now followed the women. While Deepti Sharma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur avoided giving a categorical answer ahead of the tournament, the BCCI has hinted that the no-handshake stance may extend to the women as well.
During the toss, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur flipped the coin while Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana called ‘tails’. Match referee Shandre Fritz and announcer Mel Jones reportedly misheard the call as ‘heads’. When the coin landed, it showed heads, and the toss was awarded to Fatima, who opted to field. Harmanpreet did not raise objections at the time.
During the 2025 Asia Cup, when Suryakumar Yadav captained India in the men’s team, tensions emerged over no-handshake with Pakistan.
After a hard-fought match, India’s players, following team protocol, refrained from shaking hands with Pakistan’s side. The incident sparked debate in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
For the second league-stage match, both teams made one change each to their playing XIs. Sadaf Shamas replaced Omaima Sohail for Pakistan, while Renuka Singh Thakur replaced indisposed Amanjot Kaur.
