The most controversial aspect of the recent T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan was not the game itself; it was the fact that they did not shake hands after the game, something which happened in the same vein during their 2025 Asia Cup encounter.
Pakistan coach Wahab Riaz explained his unawareness of the reasons behind the gesture but brushed off the whole controversy. "I am not aware why there are no handshakes," Riaz noted. "If it's going to be like this, I won't mind too much anyway."
Riaz shrugs off handshake acknowledgement
The momentum heat up right from the beginning, as neither captain Harmanpreet Kaur nor Fatima Sana paid any attention to each other during the coin-toss ceremony.
When asked point-blank regarding the frosty relationship between the two players, Riaz denied any such thing ever happening.
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"Look, I don’t know," Riaz said during the post-match press conference. "I walked away from playing a while ago, so I don't know the exact reason for the missing handshakes. But if this is how things are going to be, let's just leave it at that. It doesn't make a big difference anyway."
India's all-round dominance sinks Pakistan
India laid the foundation for victory with a fluent 68 off 44 balls from Smriti Mandhana, while Richa Ghosh provided late momentum with a blistering 34 from just 17 deliveries, helping the team reach a competitive 170/6.
Pakistan's chase never gathered momentum as India's bowlers took control from the outset. Deepti Sharma emerged as the star performer, producing a match-winning spell of 5/10 to dismantle the batting line-up. Shree Charani offered excellent support with figures of 3/21, ensuring Pakistan remained under constant pressure.
A lone fighting knock of 41 from Muneeba Ali was the only bright spot for Pakistan, whose batters struggled to build meaningful partnerships. The innings eventually folded for 106 in 17 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory and underlining the gulf between the two sides on the day.
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The India-Pakistan match was characterised by the off-field hostility and the on-field superiority of India. The Indian team avoided the customary pre-match and post-match handshakes with Pakistan, which the Pakistani coach, Wahab Riaz, did not consider to be of much importance. India emerged victorious and superior on the field, proving too strong for Pakistan.
FAQ
Which Indian bowler dismantled the Pakistan lineup with an impressive 5/10 spell?
Deepti Sharma took a clinical five-wicket haul for just 10 runs to derail Pakistan's chase.
top-scored for Pakistan during their unsuccessful run-chase of 171?
Muneeba Ali provided the only notable resistance for Pakistan with a knock of 41 runs.
