When India and Pakistan meet in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, the match will be significant not just for the cricket on the field, but also for the political climate that surrounded the encounter and the tournament itself.
The South Asian countries share a decades-long history of war and hostilities. The most recent clash occurred in May 2025, when the nuclear-armed neighbors engaged in a four-day cross-border conflict.
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This bitter 78-year history has fueled conflicts in the sports world, sometimes leading to tournament boycotts, canceled games, and ground invasions.
Players from both teams have often had heated battles on the field, but they have also publicly shared lighter moments off the field.
However, the lingering hostilities from the previous conflict had a serious and long-lasting impact on cricket, South Asia’s most widely loved sport.
We take a look back at the deteriorating cricket relations between India and Pakistan since the May conflict, and the politically tainted on-field events.
September 14th – No handshake line
The controversy began when India’s Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake the captain’s hand with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha before the customary toss, leaving fans wondering if politics were involved.
At the end of the match, after hitting the winning run, that doubt was put to rest when Yadav and batting partner Shivam Dube left the field without approaching the Pakistan captain and team for the traditional post-match handshake.
The Pakistan players shuffled along in a group to wait for the Indian team, who just shook hands with each other before entering the locker room and closing the door while the waiting Pakistan players looked on.
Yadav later admitted that his team had long planned not to shake hands with Pakistani players, and linked it to the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that preceded the May conflict.
“There are some things in life that are beyond the spirit of a sportsman,” the 35-year-old said.
September 17 – Pakistan refuses to play against UAE
The aftermath of the handshake scandal spilled over into the next group match of the Asia Cup, with Pakistan refusing to play against the UAE in protest to match referee Andy Pycroft.
Pakistan insisted that Pycroft be removed from the match because he was the main umpire against India and helped enforce India’s request that captains not shake hands during the toss.
“Andy Pycroft has prohibited the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during matches,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
The match between Pakistan and the UAE was delayed by an hour as negotiations were held behind closed doors, with Pycroft apologizing for a “miscommunication”.
September 21 – Players exchange heated words and address conflict
When the two teams met for the second time in the Asian Cup, players from both teams were seen exchanging verbal blows in the center of the pitch.
Pakistan’s Haris Rauf challenged Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma, who later said that his 74 runs in the winning innings was a response to the Pakistani player.
“I didn’t like the way they were coming at us for no reason at all,” Sharma said after the game.
Rauf was also seen gesturing towards the Indian supporters while fielding at the boundary line. He held up his hands to show the numbers 6 and 0, a nod to Pakistan’s claim that it shot down six Indian fighter jets during the May conflict.
The fast bowler also made a gesture indicating that the aircraft would plummet to the ground.
After the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Rauf and Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan, who marked his half-century with a mock gun celebration.
Pakistan also lodged a complaint against Indian captain Yadav after he mentioned Indian missile strikes in Pakistan in his post-match press comments.
September 28 – India refuses to accept trophy from Pakistani officials
The controversial tournament reached its peak when India, who defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final, refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy. The trophy was presented to him by Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and PCB chairman.
Mr. Naqvi is also Pakistan’s federal interior minister.
“We have decided not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC president, who happens to be one of the key (political) leaders of Pakistan,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman Devajit Saikia said.
The final award ceremony was delayed by more than an hour due to India’s refusal and Naqvi’s insistence on being presented with the trophy. The Indian team celebrated by pretending to hold the trophy.
India captain Yadav said it was the team’s decision to refuse to award the trophy, adding that “no one told us to do it”.
October 5th – Handshake line hits Women’s Cricket World Cup
When India and Pakistan played against each other at the ICC Women’s World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2025, the Indian women’s team followed the precedent set by the men’s side and did not offer to shake hands with their opponents.
November 4 – ICC sanctions Indian and Pakistani players for on-field conduct
Five weeks after the conclusion of the Asia Cup, the ICC announced that Rauf, Farhan and Yadav had been found guilty of violating the code of conduct and bringing the game into disrepute.
Yadav and Rauf were fined 30% of their match fee and given two demerit points each for their match on September 14, while Farhan was sent off with a warning and one demerit point.
Rauch was found guilty of the same offense in the final and received the same punishment, including a two-game suspension.
Meanwhile, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who celebrated his own plane crash in the final, was also found guilty and given one demerit point.
January 25 – Pakistan casts doubt on T20 World Cup participation
Following Bangladesh’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup, Pakistan said it would reconsider its presence in the tournament.
“The prime minister is currently not in Pakistan. When he returns, he will be able to inform you of the final decision,” PCB chief Naqvi said.
February 1 – Pakistan announces boycott of match against India
In an unprecedented decision in a World Cup, the Pakistani government announced that the team will not play in the match against India on February 15.
Days later, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif clarified that the move was an act of solidarity with Bangladesh.
February 9 – Pakistan withdraws boycott
More than a week later, Pakistan reversed its decision and announced that its cricket team had been ordered to play Sunday’s match.
Referring to the decision to boycott the match, Pakistan’s government said it had “considered formal requests from the Bangladesh Cricket Board and supportive communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and other member states” to seek “workable solutions to recent challenges”.
