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During the 2026 U-19 World Cup match, the captains of India and Pakistan did not shake hands as is customary during the toss. India skipper Ayush Maitre and Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousuf completed the toss without the traditional greetings, a move that quickly attracted attention ahead of the match.
India will take on Pakistan in the final match of the Super Six World Cup at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday, February 1. Both sides are vying for a spot in the semi-finals, which adds an edge to the game. The Ayush Mhatt-led side has sailed through the tournament so far without facing a major test.
India-Pakistan U19 captain skips handshake again during World Cup match
During the U19 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, the two captains did not shake hands as usual. India captain Ayush Maitre and Pakistan captain Farhan Yousuf completed the toss without any interaction.
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As in recent meetings between the two sides, both captains avoided eye contact and did not exchange words. The handshake usually seen as a sign of sportsmanship before the coin toss did not occur.
It’s worth noting that the move appears to be well thought out and not a mistake. This lack of interaction has become a recurring feature in India-Pakistan matches, with the tension palpable even before the first ball is bowled.
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) February 1, 2026
Different forms of handshake snubs between India and Pakistan in international cricket
Increasing refusals to shake hands have become a common pattern during recent cricket matches between India and Pakistan. The phenomenon first emerged during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in September when Indian players avoided shaking hands with Pakistan during the group stage.
The trend later extended to women’s cricket matches at the Women’s World Cup in Colombo on October 5, where Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana also skipped the customary greetings.
Earlier at the U19 World Cup, Ayush Mhatre avoided shaking hands with Bangladesh captain Zawad Abrar. The handshake toss was skipped at the Blind Women’s T20 World Cup in November, but India and Pakistan walked side by side and greeted each other warmly after the match.
India U19 World Cup Super Six match line-up between India and Pakistan
“There is a bit of moisture on the pitch. The bowling team will want to take advantage of it. There is not much difference between Harare and Bulawayo. We have done very well in the last 3-4 games. The focus is on playing a good game and good intentions and not planning too much for NRR. A change,” Farhan Yusuf said while bowling.
“The kids played really well. We had a lot of confidence. The kids played really well. It was a sunny day. The last two games, the weather has been great and that really helped us,” Mhat said during the toss.
Pakistan U19: Hamza Zahoor (w), Sameer Minhas, Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousuf (c), Huzaifa Ahsan, Ali Hasan Baloch, Abdul Subhan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza
India U19: Aaron George, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ayush Mhat (c), Vihan Malhotra, Abhigian Kundu (female), Vedant Trivedi, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chauhan, Kiran Patel, Henil Patel, Dipesh Devendran
Also read: BCCI selectors announce India’s starting XI for T20 World Cup 2026, Sanju Samson dropped out
