When India and Pakistan meet in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, the match will be significant not only for the cricket on the field but also for the political atmosphere of the match and the event itself.

The South Asian countries have a decades-long history of war and hostilities. latest meet In May 2025, the two nuclear-armed neighbors were engaged in a four-day cross-border conflict.

This painful 78-year history has fueled sporting rivalries, sometimes leading to event boycotts, game cancellations and ground invasions.

Players from both teams often clashed violently on the court but also openly shared lighter moments off the court.

However, lingering animosity from the last conflict has had serious and long-term consequences for cricket, South Asia’s most widely followed sport.

We take a look back at the deteriorating cricket relations and politically charged on-field incidents between India and Pakistan since the May clash:

September 14 – No handshakes

this dispute India’s Suryakumar Yadav chose not to have the customary captain’s handshake with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha before the toss, leaving fans wondering if politics were at play.

All doubts were cleared at the end of the match when Yadav and his batting partner Shivam Dube left the field after hitting the winning runs without approaching the Pakistan captain for the traditional post-match handshake with the team.

The Pakistani players trudged off, waiting for the Indian team to arrive, but the Indian team just shook hands with each other, then walked into the dressing room and closed the door, while the waiting Pakistani players looked on.

Later, Yadav confirmed that his team had planned not to shake hands with Pakistani players, linking it to the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that preceded the May clashes.

“There are some things in life that transcend sportsmanship,” the 35-year-old said.

September 17 – Pakistan refuses to play against UAE

The fallout from the handshake dispute carried over to Pakistan’s next group match at the Asia Cup, when they reject Came on to protest match referee Andy Pycroft against Emirates.

Pakistan insisted on Pycroft’s withdrawal from the match as he was a key official in the match for India and helped enforce the Indian captain’s request not to shake hands during the toss.

“Andy Pycroft has banned the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during the match,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

Pakistan’s match against UAE was delayed by an hour as negotiations took place behind closed doors, with Pycroft apologizing for a “miscommunication”.

September 21 – Players argue violently, mention of conflict

when the team meet For the second time in the Asian Cup, players from both sides verbally attacked each other in the middle of the pitch.

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf went toe-to-toe with Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma, who later said his match-winning knock of 74 was a response to the Pakistani player.

“They came at us for no reason and I didn’t like it at all,” Sharma said after the game.

Rauf was also seen making gestures to the Indian supporters while defending at the boundary. He raised his hands to represent the numbers six and zero, referring to Pakistan claim Shot down six Indian jets in May clashes.

The fast bowler also made the gesture of a plane swooping into the ground.

After the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing Rauf and Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan of celebrating their half-century with a simulated gun celebration.

Pakistan also lodged a complaint against Indian captain Yadav for using his post-match press comments to mention the Indian missile attack on Pakistan.

September 28 – India refuses to accept trophy officially awarded by Pakistan

The controversial tournament culminated in the final, when India defeated Pakistan by five wickets but refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy as it was presented by Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and chairman of the cricket board.

Naqvi is also the federal interior minister of Pakistan.

“We have decided not to take over the Asia Cup trophy from the hands of the ACC president, who happens to be one of the key (political) leaders of Pakistan,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Devajit Saikia said.

Due to India’s refusal and Naqvi’s insistence on awarding the award, the final ceremony was delayed by more than an hour. The Indian team pretended to celebrate with the trophy.

India skipper Yadav added that rejecting the trophy was the team’s decision and “no one told us to do this”.

October 5 – Handshake rowing into Women’s Cricket World Cup

when india and pakistan face After the start of the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup in Sri Lanka, the Indian women’s team followed the example of the men’s team and did not take the initiative to shake hands with their opponents.

November 4 – ICC sanctions Indian and Pakistani players for on-field conduct

Five weeks after the Asia Cup, the ICC said Rauf, Farhan and Yadav had been found guilty of breaching its code of conduct and bringing the tournament into disrepute.

Yadav and Rauf were fined 30% of the match fee for the match on September 14 and deducted two points each, while Farhan was warned and deducted one point.

Lauf was also found guilty of the same offense in the final and received the same penalty, which resulted in him being banned for two games.

Meanwhile, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who performed his own plane crash celebration in the final, was also found guilty and deducted a point.

January 25 – Pakistan casts doubt on participation in T20 World Cup

After Bangladesh expel After the T20 World Cup, Pakistan said it would reconsider its participation in the tournament.

“The Prime Minister is not in Pakistan now. When he comes back, I will be able to provide you with our final decision,” PCB chief Naqvi said.

February 1 – Pakistan announces boycott of India matches

In an unprecedented decision at the World Cup, the Pakistan government said its team will not participate in the February 15 match against India.

Days later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed that the move was in solidarity with Bangladesh.

February 9 – Pakistan lifts boycott

More than a week later, Pakistan reversed its decision and said its cricket team had been ordered to play Sunday’s match.

The Pakistani government said it had “reviewed the formal request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and other member states” to seek “workable solutions to recent challenges”, referring to its decision to boycott the tournament.