Beyond the Scorecard: Wahab Riaz Reflects on the Silence After India’s T20 World Cup Win

Following a decisive 64-run victory for India, the absence of post-match handshakes between the two sides has once again become a point of conversation, drawing a measured response from Pakistan’s head coach.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan in cricket is rarely just about the game, but at Edgbaston this Sunday, the theatre of the Women’s T20 World Cup felt particularly loaded. As India secured a comprehensive 64-run victory, the result was punctuated by a familiar scene: the absence of the customary post-match handshake. It is a trend that has persisted since the 2025 Asia Cup, leaving observers to parse the silence between players who share the same pitch but not the same courtesies.

For Pakistan’s head coach, Wahab Riaz, the post-match press conference was an exercise in pivoting from the political to the tactical. When asked about the lack of pleasantries—a query that has dogged both camps throughout the tournament—the former pacer remained largely unmoved. "I don’t know what the reason behind not shaking hands was," he said. "But if things are going to be like this, let it go like that. It won’t make a big difference."

The Tactical Collapse

While the handshake snub dominated the headlines, Riaz was keen to shift the narrative back to the cricket. The match was a tale of two halves for Pakistan. While they started the chase with purpose during the PowerPlay, the momentum evaporated quickly. "We really went well in the PowerPlay but needed to score seven or eight runs an over for the next three or four overs without losing wickets," Riaz noted. The subsequent loss of five quick wickets effectively ended their pursuit, leaving the team unable to mount a serious comeback against a disciplined Indian bowling attack led by Deepti Sharma.

Riaz also pointed to the death overs as a decisive factor. He lamented the decision-making in the final stages of the innings, where he felt his side leaked an unnecessary 15 to 20 runs. With Richa Ghosh finding the gaps and capitalizing on the fielding restrictions, Pakistan struggled to contain the flow of runs, a lapse Riaz identified as a key learning curve for his squad.

Why It Matters

The persistent "no-handshake" protocol highlights the growing wall between the two nations, even as the global game attempts to foster a spirit of camaraderie. For the women's game, which is fighting for wider recognition and viewership, these gestures—or the lack thereof—tend to overshadow the skill on display. While the players themselves maintain a focus on their professional duties, the optics of the situation suggest a deep-seated diplomatic freeze that shows no sign of thawing. For Riaz, who has been in the role since the start of the year, the priority is to stop the team from getting bogged down by the surrounding noise and focus on playing "more positive, fearless cricket."

Ultimately, the match served as a reminder of the chasm between the two sides in terms of execution under pressure. Whether or not a handshake takes place, the world of cricket remains fixated on the on-field results of the indw vs pakistan clash. As the tournament progresses, Riaz will be looking for his side to move past these distractions and find the consistency that currently separates them from the top-tier sides.