The brief greeting came moments after the Aspin Stallions, led by Harbhajan Singh’s team, suffered a narrow four-run defeat to the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10 League match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Harbhajan Singh shares a rare moment with Shahnawaz Dahani in the Abu Dhabi T10 League
However, the timing made this moment explosive on social media. For months, players from India and Pakistan across all age groups have avoided handshakes following the Pahalgam attack earlier this year, which reignited cross-border tensions.
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This tension has even spilled over onto the cricket field, where men’s, women’s and junior teams have skipped the traditional post-match gesture in several tournaments. It started during the 2025 Asia Cup when Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistani players.
And the surprising thing is that even Harbhajan Singh had earlier taken an extremely strong stand on this issue. Earlier this year, the World Cup winner withdrew from a match against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends along with Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and the Pathan brothers. At the time, he had said the situation required a strong response.
Harbhajan Singh’s warm gesture stuns fans amid tensions between India and Pakistan
Their decision forced the India Champions to boycott the semi-final against Pakistan, sparking one of the biggest controversies in the world of cricket. But on Wednesday, Harbhajan in Abu Dhabi decided to put an end to this cold.
Dahani, who delivered a brilliant spell of 2 for 10 and played a key role in the Warriors’ victory, walked to Harbhajan immediately after the final delivery. The Stallions captain responded with a simple handshake and a brief exchange of words before the players walked away.
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Earlier in the match, Harbhajan had skipped a tight single for eight runs and was later bowled out for one during the thrilling chase. As expected, the friendly moment exploded online, with many reacting sharply to Harbhajan’s unexpected gesture.
Harbhajan Singh shared a warm handshake with Shahnawaz Dahani after the Abu Dhabi T10 match 🇵🇰🇮🇳🤝
Dahani responded with a smile. It makes you wonder why we don’t see the same energy in international matches. Interesting contrast. 🤐 pic.twitter.com/TAQwC47DVQ— Abbey 🫀 (@CrickTrack360) November 19, 2025
Harbhajan Singh shakes hands with Shahnawaz Dahani. It seems that no handshake policy applies only to those wearing a Pakistani shirt. pic.twitter.com/EqtsxQlSds
— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoor_ze) November 19, 2025
However, just days earlier, during the Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind on November 16, players from both sides offered brief congratulatory messages after matches, thanks to a friendlier environment in which teams traveled together.
Match highlight Northern Warriors vs Aspin Stallions
Speaking of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, Northern Warriors posted a strong 114/2 in 10 overs, thanks to Johnson Charles’ 55* and Colin Munro’s 38*. Tymal Mills fired Hazratullah Zazai. The Aspin Stallions chased the target and fought hard but could only reach 110 for seven.
Dahani’s stunning bowling in the final overs helped Northern Warriors beat Harbhajan’s team by four runs and earned him the Player of the Match award. Avishka Fernando was top scorer with 33 runs for the Aspin Stallions in the Abu Dhabi T10 League match.
Shahnawaz Dahani and Taskin Ahmed were the standout bowlers for the Warriors, taking two wickets each at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
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