 "SKY breaks silence on handshake row, takes witty dig at Pakistan’s Abhishek wish: 'If Salman wants him, we’ll play him'")
India and Pakistan are all set to face each other in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. Ahead of the high-voltage clash, there was some interesting banter between the two captains during their respective press conferences.
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Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said that he hopes India play Abhishek Sharma in the big match. The young opener missed India’s previous game against Namibia in New Delhi due to stomach issue and was doubtful for the Pakistan encounter.
“I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I hope he’s recovering well. We want to play against the best,” Agha told reporters a day before the India game.
Salman Ali Agha knows what Mr.Maximum can do. 😉
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 14, 2026
Pakistan ready for the test? 🔥
Watch ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 👉 #INDvPAK | SUN, 15th FEB, 6 PM pic.twitter.com/ElodOnPyj5
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2026: What happens if IND vs PAK game in Colombo is washed out due to rain?
SKY responds to Salman’s comment
India captain Suryakumar Yadav responded in a light-hearted manner. He hinted that Abhishek might be fit and jokingly said that if the Pakistan skipper wants him to play, India might just consider it. “If Salman wants us to play Abhishek tomorrow, we shall play him,” SKY said at the pre-match press conference.
Despite the off-field boycott drama that surrounded the fixture in recent weeks, Suryakumar said that India were always focused on their preparation and never got distracted. “We were prepared for all fixtures. Our flights were booked for this game. We were only focused on the preparation,” he said when asked about the controversy.
Also Read: India vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup: Full list of results ahead of 2026 clash in Colombo
India have won both their matches so far in the tournament, but their batting has not looked very convincing. The middle order struggled against both USA and Namibia. SKY admitted that the team did not have the best start with the bat.
“We had a scratchy start, we can’t run away from the fact. There’s no excuse. Everyone has played a lot of cricket, batters should have their own plans on a tricky wicket. We started well but had a hiccup, but then covered it well. It’s the beauty of T20 cricket,” he said honestly.
When asked whether India would shake hands with Pakistan at the toss, Suryakumar chose not to give a direct answer. “We’ll see about handshake at toss. Wait for 24 hours,” he said.
On the other hand, Salman Agha spoke about the importance of playing the game in the right spirit. “Cricket should be played in (right) spirit. My personal opinion may not matter. But cricket should be played according to how it has always been meant to be played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Agha said.
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