No handshake at toss as Pakistan opt to bowl first against India

New Delhi: Pakistan captain Salman Agha and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav skipped the customary handshake at the toss on Sunday, in a moment that stood out ahead of the high-stakes T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday.

Salman called heads and won the toss, with Pakistan choosing to bowl first after the coin landed on heads.

“There’s no handshake between the captains,” the on-field broadcast noted immediately after the toss.

Salman said the surface looked “tacky” and could offer early assistance to the bowlers. He added that while it was a big game, the group was relaxed and focused.

He also pointed to the venue conditions, calling it a bigger ground than the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and saying the pitch was slightly slower. Pakistan have named an unchanged XI.

Suryakumar said India would have batted first anyway, citing the success in their first two games. He said it was easy to frame it as “another game” but acknowledged the contest carried high stakes.

He added that cricket can swing quickly, saying anyone can have a good day.

India made changes, with Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav coming into the XI. Suryakumar confirmed Arshdeep Singh was the player going out, with Sanju Samson also in contention to make way.