The stage is set for yet another electrifying showdown as India and Pakistan gear up to clash in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 on Sunday, October 5, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Cricket fans worldwide are abuzz, not just for the sporting spectacle, but for the off-field drama that’s been simmering ever since the men’s Asia Cup earlier this year. With traditions, politics, and pride on the line, all eyes are on what’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
The Women’s World Cup kicked off on September 30 in Guwahati, with India making a statement by winning the tournament opener by 59 runs in a rain-affected contest. The Women In Blue, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming in hot, but their next hurdle is far more than just cricketing prowess. Their match against Pakistan, scheduled for Colombo due to a unique agreement between the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), carries a weight of history, rivalry, and recent controversy.
Why Colombo? Earlier this year, the cricketing authorities from both nations and the ICC struck a deal: when India and Pakistan meet in ICC tournaments, the matches will be played at neutral venues. This arrangement was hammered out before the Champions Trophy 2025, aiming to sidestep the perennial political tensions that have marred bilateral cricketing ties. So, even though India are technically the hosts, the high-voltage contest will unfold on Sri Lankan soil.
But the cricket isn’t the only thing on people’s minds. The question of sportsmanship—and specifically, the post-match handshake—has become a flashpoint. Traditionally, shaking hands at the end of a game is a simple, unspoken gesture of mutual respect. There’s no ICC rule mandating it, but it’s been a customary sign-off for decades. That tradition was upended recently when the Indian men’s team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts throughout all three encounters in the Asia Cup 2025. The move, widely interpreted as a political statement, drew sharp criticism and ignited a heated debate about the intersection of politics and sport.
The Asia Cup saga didn’t end with the handshake snub. After India’s men clinched the trophy by defeating Pakistan in the final, they declined to accept the award from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Instead, Indian players made pointed remarks in post-match ceremonies, and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed, “We decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan.” Saikia also announced that a formal complaint against Naqvi would be raised at the next ICC meeting scheduled for November. Meanwhile, sources indicated that Naqvi had rejected repeated requests from BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla to hand over the Asia Cup trophy.
With this backdrop, it’s no surprise that the upcoming women’s fixture is under an intense spotlight. Pakistani team manager Hina Munawar has reportedly sought guidance from the PCB regarding the expected handshake boycott, indicating that the team is bracing for a possible repeat of the men’s Asia Cup scenario. According to a report in Telecom Asia Sport, the Pakistani camp is expecting India to skip the traditional handshake, although there’s no official word from the BCCI or PCB yet. The ICC, for its part, has not been approached on the matter, and maintains no official protocol regarding handshakes.
Indian sports journalist Boria Majumdar summed up the mood on social media, writing, “The India-Pakistan game in Colombo will not be just another cricket match. It will be a continuation of the Asia Cup, and the only thing that changes is the gender. There will be no handshakes, lots of off-field drama and heightened stakes.” His comments echo the sentiments of many who believe the rivalry has now spilled well beyond the boundary ropes, with off-field gestures and political undertones threatening to overshadow the cricket itself.
Yet, amidst all the noise, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has tried to keep her team’s focus squarely on the game. When pressed about the handshake issue before the World Cup began, Kaur was unequivocal: “Well, we can only control one thing which is playing cricket on the field and we are not thinking of other things. Because as cricketers, we can only control the things we have in our hand. But in other parts, I have zero control, and I don’t even take those things into my mind. We don’t even discuss those things in the dressing room. We are only here to play cricket and our focus is only on cricket.”
That single-minded approach might be exactly what India needs as they look to maintain their perfect record against Pakistan in women’s ODIs. The two sides have met 11 times in this format, and India has come out on top every single time. It’s a remarkable streak, and the pressure is on both teams to either extend or break it under the glare of global attention.
For Pakistan, the stakes are enormous—not just in terms of cricketing achievement, but also in how they choose to respond to any perceived provocations. The PCB has yet to issue an official response about the handshake question, and the team faces a delicate balancing act: should they respond in kind if India skips the handshake, or rise above the fray and let their cricket do the talking?
Fans and analysts alike are bracing for a contest that promises fireworks both on and off the field. The rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of the most storied in world sport, and every encounter is amplified by decades of history, political baggage, and passionate support on both sides. The Women’s World Cup 2025 match in Colombo may be played on neutral ground, but there’s nothing neutral about the stakes or the emotions involved.
As the countdown to Sunday’s match continues, the cricketing world waits to see not just who will prevail on the scoreboard, but how both teams will handle the broader context swirling around them. Will the game be remembered for a new chapter in a legendary rivalry, or will off-field controversies steal the spotlight once again? One thing’s for sure: when India and Pakistan meet, the world watches—and this weekend, there’s no shortage of drama in store.
With the match just days away and no official word yet on the handshake tradition, the anticipation is palpable. Whether the players shake hands or not, the cricket itself promises to be fiercely contested, and the outcome—both on and off the pitch—remains to be seen.
