As we build up towards the mega India-Pakistan clash, the buzz continues to spike upwards in dramatic fashion. There was a huge rain threat for this game but over the last 12 hours, the weather forecast in Colombo appears to have improved significantly. For now, rain is forecast for the afternoon but is expected to end around match time.
Which means that we can have a delayed start but a full 20-over game is likely, especially with the buffer time of one hour allotted by the ICC rules for the tournament. Meanwhile, another buzz is around the 'no handshake' protocol that India have adopted against Pakistan since the Pahalgam attacks in April 2025.
Since then, all the India-Pakistan matches, whether it's men's cricket or women's cricket, have seen this stance being carried out from the Indian camp. There was an indication about it being reversed for this game but as things stand, India are likely to continue with the 'no handshake' stance for this game too.
At the pre-match press conference, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha maintained his team's stance over the handshake issue and urged the Indian camp to make a change to their stance. Agha felt that the important thing was to maintain the sanctity of the game and it includes even the subtle gestures on the field.
“Cricket should be played in spirit," said Agha.
"My personal opinion may not matter, but cricket should be played the way it has always been played. It’s up to them to decide what to do."
Agha's counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav was his jovial self at the presser. Among the several questions thrown at him, the inevitable one was about the handshake. Suryakumar prefers to give his answers in riddles or jokes, except if the question is severely technical. For this one, he opted an indirect approach.
"Now wait for 24 hours for that," said Suryakumar.
"Why put so much focus on that? We have come to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls later tomorrow. Wait for it. Eat well and go to sleep."