• Source:JND

India vs Pakistan, Women's T20 WC 2026: India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in a blockbuster clash in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Sunday, June 14. The high-profile encounter will also mark the start of both teams' campaigns in the tournament.

Ahead of the match, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was asked whether Indian players would shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a topic that has drawn attention in recent meetings between the two sides. However, Harmanpreet chose not to comment on the issue, saying, "We are here to play cricket and do not talk about anything else."

Will India Avoid Handshakes With Pakistan Players?

Questions over the handshake protocol have surfaced repeatedly since the 2025 Men's Asia Cup, where Indian players were seen avoiding post-match handshakes with Pakistani cricketers. Similar scenes were witnessed during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, the Under-19 Asia Cup and the Under-19 World Cup.

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Notably, during last year's Women's World Cup, Harmanpreet did not shake hands with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana after the match. As a result, a similar situation could unfold once again when the two teams face off in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026.

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series for several years due to strained political relations, meeting only in multinational tournaments. The distance between the two cricketing rivals has grown further in recent years, particularly following the Pahalgam terror attack, after which Indian players have largely refrained from customary on-field interactions with Pakistani cricketers.

India Hold Edge Over Pakistan

India have enjoyed a clear upper hand over Pakistan in Women's T20 Internationals. The Women in Blue lead the overall head-to-head record 13-3 and also hold a 6-2 advantage in Women's T20 World Cup meetings.

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India Squad for ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.

India's T20 World Cup schedule:

14th June vs Pakistan, Edgbaston

17th June vs Netherlands, Leeds

21st June vs South Africa, Manchester

25th June vs Bangladesh, Manchester

28th June - v Australia, Lord's


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