COLOMBO: And, so, on the ninth day and after 26 matches, the World Cup's big match — world cricket's big match not for entertainment or action but purely for the toxicity this game seems to generate these days — arrived at a suitably decked up R Premadasa Stadium. And before a ball was bowled in anger, more drama arrived in the form of the Indian captain's refusal to shake hands with Salman Agha, the Pakistan captain, at the toss. And he continued the now established tradition that they had begun at the Asia Cup in September. Since then, multiple Indian teams have refused to engage with their Pakistan counterparts at the toss for reasons best known to the cricketers. When the men's team first refused to shake hands with Pakistan in Dubai, Yadav had said: "Few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit."

Source: Indian Express February 15, 2026 15:37 UTC