No Handshakes in Colombo: Indian Women's Cricket Team Keeps Distance From Pakistan Players

When India's women cricketers walk out to face Pakistan in Colombo for their World Cup league match, one tradition will be conspicuously absent - the handshake. In a rare and pointed directive, the BCCI has instructed the players to avoid handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts, a decision that underscores just how deeply politics has seeped into cricket's most bitter rivalry.

The move echoes the men's team's stance during the Asia Cup, where players kept their distance despite repeated encounters with Pakistan. This time, it is the women who carry forward the silent message: no camaraderie, no gesture of goodwill - only competition on the field.

The timing is symbolic. India-Pakistan games have already been playing out every Sunday, each clash layered with political undertones - from references to terror attacks and cross-border operations to the storm over the Asia Cup trophy, which India refused to accept from ACC chairman and Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Naqvi has hit back, denying accusations and daring the BCCI to "collect the trophy" from his office. But the damage is done. Even a handshake - the most ordinary of sporting courtesies - has now become a casualty of strained ties.

As the women prepare for their showdown, the message is loud and clear: there will be no smiles, no handshakes, only cricket in its rawest, most political form.