Pakistan wins toss and fields in marquee game against India at T20 World Cup. No handshakes again

NASSAU COUNTY, New York — Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha called correctly at the coin flip and immediately inserted India to bat in the most-anticipated fixture of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday, but the pre-match formalities were again stripped of the customary captain’s handshake amid ongoing military and diplomatic tensions between the neighboring nations.

Agha, leading Pakistan for the first time in a World Cup clash against India, said his decision to chase was based on the surface and evening conditions, while opposite number Hardik Pandya offered a brief nod of acknowledgment before the two leaders retreated to their huddles without the traditional cordialities.

The chilly reception at the 30-yard circle mirrored the scene from last year’s Asia Cup, when the captains also bypassed the handshake, underscoring how geopolitical strains continue to intrude upon one of sport’s fiercest rivalries.

With both sides unbeaten in the group stage so far, the encounter carries added weight for qualification to the Super Eights, yet the atmosphere inside the temporary 34,000-seat venue remains as charged off the field as on it.

Play is scheduled to begin under floodlights, with Pakistan’s new-ball attack expected to test India’s top order on a drop-in pitch that has shown early assistance to seamers throughout the tournament.