Harbhajan Singh drops no-handshake stand, greets Pakistan spinner Shahnawaz Dahani at Abu Dhabi T10

The handshake snub was first witnessed at the Asia Cup, which was repeated in the Women's World Cup and the ongoing Rising Stars Asia Cup.

Curated by : Manish Kumar

November 20, 2025 / 13:40 IST

Harbhajan Singh drops no-handshake stand, greets Pakistan spinner Shahnawaz Dahani at Abu Dhabi T10

In a rare incident former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was seen shaking hands with Pakistan fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani amid tensed political environment between the two nations. The incident took place during the Abu Dhabi T10 League on Wednesday (November 19). The gesture was made after Harbhajan's team, Aspin Stallions, lost against Northern Warriors by four runs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Following the Pahalgam attack earlier this year that heightened cross-border tensions and spilled over into cricket, players from both countries have mostly refrained from on-field handshakes, so the quick exchange of smiles and pleasantries attracted notice. Indian men's, women's, and age-group teams have since foregone the traditional post-match gesture in a number of competitions.

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Earlier, Harbhajan had taken a firm stand. He withdrew from a World Championship of Legends match against Pakistan earlier this year, citing national emotion. He was joined by former Indian stars Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and the Pathan brothers. The India Champions also forfeited the semi-final as a result of their boycott.

The exchange happened as Dahani, who bowled a match-winning spell of 2/10, went up to Harbhajan, who shook hands and engaged in a quick chat. Prior to being run out for one during the chase, Harbhajan had bowled one over for eight runs.