“Wait for 24 hours,” said Suryakumar Yadav with a smile. “Wait till tomorrow,” added his teammate Salman Ali Agha. The topic on everyone’s mind remained unresolved on Saturday, as both India and Pakistan captains avoided confirming whether their teams would exchange handshakes before or after their T20 World Cup match on Sunday.
Since last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai, players from India and Pakistan have refrained from shaking hands, following the Pahalgam incident and the Indian military’s Operation Sindoor.
When asked about the handshake, Surya playfully replied, “Now wait for 24 hours for that. Why focus on that? We are here to play Cricket. We will play well. We will take those decisions tomorrow. Just eat well and get some rest.”
Agha also kept his response vague but emphasized that the “Spirit of the Game” must be respected. “Cricket should be played the right way. My opinion doesn’t matter much, but the game should be played as it traditionally is. It’s their choice on what to do,” Agha said.
BCB chief to watch match, meet BCCI officials
Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Aminul Islam Bulbul announced he will be in Colombo to watch the India-Pakistan match, where he hopes to improve relations with the BCCI after recent tensions. BCCI president Mithun Manhas, secretary Devajit Saikia, and vice-president Rajeev Shukla are also expected to attend. In an interview with Bangladesh’s “Pratham Alo,” Islam noted that the ICC extended the invitation for this important game.
