Story byHafsa AdilThu, February 12, 2026 at 8:57 PM UTC·7 min readWhen India and Pakistan meet in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, the match will not just be significant for its on-field cricket action but also the political climate that has shrouded the encounter and the tournament itself. The South Asian nations share a decades-old history of wars and hostile relations. The most recent encounter came in May 2025, when the nuclear-armed neighbours were engaged in a four-day cross-border conflict. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis 78-year-old bitter history has fuelled the sporting rivalry, which has – at times – led to tournament boycotts, cancelled matches and ground invasions. Players from both teams have often been involved in heated encounters on the field, but have also publicly shared lighter moments off it. However, the lingering hostility of the last conflict has made a severe and long-term impact on cricket, which is the most widely followed sport in South Asia. We look back at the deteriorating cricket relations between India and Pakistan since the May conflict and the on-field events steeped in politics:September 14 – No handshake rowThe controversy began when India’s Suryakumar Yadav opted out of the customary pre-toss captains’ handshake with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha, prompting fans to wonder if politics were at play. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe doubts were cleared at the end of the match when, after hitting the winning runs, Yadav and his batting partner Shivam Dube walked off the field without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes. Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad, but the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on. Later, Yadav confirmed that his team had planned to not shake hands with Pakistani players all along, linking it to the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that preceded the May conflict.“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” the 35-year-old said. India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav walks off after the toss as his Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha watches on before the start of their Asia Cup 2025 game [Sajjad Hussain/AFP]September 17 – Pakistan refuse to take the field against UAEThe fallout of the handshake row carried over into Pakistan’s next group game in the Asia Cup, when they refused to take the field against the UAE in protest against match referee Andy Pycroft. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPakistan insisted that Pycroft be removed from their fixture as he was the key official in the India match and helped carry out India’s request that the captains not shake hands at the toss.“Andy Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their match,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. The Pakistan-UAE match was delayed by an hour as negotiations took place behind closed doors, and Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication”. Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha and team manager Naveed Akram Cheema speak before the start of the match against the United Arab Emirates [File: Sajjad Hussain/AFP]September 21 – Players exchange heated words, make references to conflictWhen the teams met for the second time in the Asia Cup, players from both sides were seen exchanging verbal blows in the middle of the pitch. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPakistan’s Haris Rauf had a go at India’s batter Abhishek Sharma, who later said his match-winning innings of 74 runs was a response to Pakistani players.“The way they were coming at us without any reason, I didn’t like it at all,” Sharma said after the match. Rauf was also seen making gestures towards the Indian supporters while fielding on the boundary. He held up his hands to indicate the numbers six and zero, a reference to Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian jets during th.
