India and Pakistan exchanged high-fives before their Hockey World Cup match in Amstelveen, prompting debate about cricket’s no-handshake policy
India and Pakistan players exchanged quick high-fives before their World Cup match in Amstelveen five days ago, and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta used the moment to question why similar courtesies are absent from India-Pakistan cricket fixtures. Gupta praised the gesture and contrasted hockey’s on-field etiquette with the handshake debate in cricket.
The gesture occurred ahead of a crucial Hockey World Cup encounter and followed the International Hockey Federation's protocol allowing high-fives instead of the customary handshake. Gupta posted a photograph on X and labelled it an example of "sporting high-5s," using the image to highlight an apparent difference between the two sports' treatment of the India-Pakistan rivalry. His exact post read: "This image from the ongoing hockey World Cup in Belgium and the NetherlandsThe sporting high-5sThink about itIndia-Pakistan hockey rivalry is old as cricket and historically, way more competitive".
Gupta expanded on his point about hockey players acknowledging one another despite political tensions in another post, writing: "They’ve played each other multiple times since Op Sindoor, at all levels..Seniors, under-19, juniorsShaking hands, exchanging high-fives, hugs, the occasional pat on the back while playingNobody’s outraged or called the Hockey India or the team’s patriotism in questionTwitter ‘patriotism’ targets only cricket". He directed that criticism at the cricketing context in which no-handshake customs have persisted.
The pre-match image prompted responses on social media, with a number of fans drawing the same comparison between hockey and cricket; other users defended India’s stance in cricket. A related reaction came from Abdul Wasey Naik, who tweeted: "Sirf cricket mein hi kyun draamebaazi kerte hein phir? pic.twitter.com/nNTc8bo0ak— Abdul Wasey Naik (@WaseyNaik) August 19, 2026".
Indian cricket teams have adopted a no-handshake approach with Pakistan in recent international meetings: senior teams avoided customary handshakes in five international matches across men’s and women’s cricket since 2025. The practice began during the men’s Asia Cup after the Pahalgam terror attack and amid Operation Sindoor, continued through subsequent Asia Cup meetings and was followed again during the 2026 T20 World Cup, while India’s women’s team applied the same protocol during their T20 World Cup clash with Pakistan in June.
On the field in Amstelveen, India went on to beat Pakistan 5-3; Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek scored twice each and Hardik Singh added another, a result that eliminated Pakistan from the tournament. That high-scoring win was followed five days later by a different outcome for India in the competition.
India then lost 1-3 to the Netherlands in the second round, with Harmanpreet scoring India’s only goal and Duco Telgenkamp, Tjep Hoedemakers and Thijs van Dam scoring for the hosts. As a result, India now need a sizeable victory over Argentina in their final Pool E match, together with favourable results elsewhere, to keep their semi-final hopes alive.