Did India and Pakistan players shake hands? Revisiting the recent history of no-handshake policy in IND vs PAK matches

The recent history of the no-handshake policy between India and Pakistan cricket players has been a topic of interest since the BCCI introduced this policy following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. The policy has since been consistently followed across all formats and age groups of Indian cricket, including men's, women's, U-19, and Under-19 World Cup matches.

In their recent encounter at the U-19 Asia Cup held in Oman, Indian captain Lakshya Raichandani and his Pakistani counterpart Farhan Yousaf did not shake hands or greet each other before the match. The Indian captain tossed the coin and India won, deciding to bat first. After the toss, the two captains maintained a distance, with Yousaf walking away while Raichandani continued to converse with the match officials.

This no-handshake protocol has been a standard practice, not only in U-19 matches but also in senior-level matches against Pakistan. The women's teams followed suit during their World Cup fixture, Rising Stars Asia Cup, Under-19 Asia Cup, Under-19 World Cup, and T20 World Cup encounters. Such has been the impact of the policy that it has become an expected norm in India-Pakistan cricket encounters.