‘Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all’ – Sanjay Manjrekar’s blunt verdict on no-handshake row in IND vs PAK clash

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be squaring off against each other in Match No. 27 of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Sunday, February 15. Ahead of the game, the Indian team has reportedly maintained a stance of not engaging in any handshakes with Pakistani players at the toss or after the match concludes.

However, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that if the Suryakumar Yadav-led team is indeed taking part in the match against Pakistan, they must follow all the protocols and conclude the game by upholding the spirit of cricket in the best manner possible.

“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” Manjrekar opined via his official ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) handle. 

Check Sanjay Manjrekar’s ‘X’ post here

Suryakumar had earlier addressed in the pre-match press conference that the fans and cricket lovers will have to wait for the happening of the match to know whether his men will actually engage in a handshake with the Men in Green. Notably, the team is following the directives set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The no-handshake saga dates back to the Asia Cup 2025, where the Indian team had started the norm against the Agha Salman-led side. The two teams had met thrice in the eight-team tournament, including the finals, which also gave rise to the infamous no trophy being awarded to the triumphant Indian side by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.

There is very little cricketing context to the no-handshake episode, since the status quo has been in place after Pakistan launched a barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam in May 2025, leading to the deterioration in the geopolitical relations between the two countries.