[WATCH] Harbhajan Singh shakes hands with Pakistani cricketer in Abu Dhabi T10 competition, video goes viral | CricTracker

Harbhajan’s gesture came under scrutiny online amid the current political tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack earlier this year. Since that episode, the Indian team, both men and women, have avoided shaking hands with Pakistan when facing them in a match.

Watch the video of Harbhajan Singh’s handshake here

Interestingly, Harbhajan and a few other retired Indian cricketers refused to play against Pakistan in the World Cup of Legends. They jointly stated that “blood and sweat cannot coexist”. Harbhajan and the rest of the player boycott ensured that Pakistan qualified for the final after India were awarded a walkover in the semi-final.

The trend of not participating in handshakes was first seen during the Asia Cup. Suryakumar Yadav’s unit did not shake hands with the opposition in any of the three matches played in the UAE during the tournament. The same followed the Women’s World Cup as well as the recent Rising Stars Asia Cup match between India A and Pakistan Shaheens.

Speaking about the T10 match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 19, Harbhajan’s Stallions side lost the encounter by four runs. They scored 110/7 in their 10-over quota, compared to Northern Warriors’ 114/1 in the first innings. The Punjab-born player conceded eight runs at the point he bowled.

Dahani eventually won the Player of the Match award as he finished with figures of 2/10 in a few overs. He took the wickets of Saif Hassan (15 off 11) and Tymal Mills (0 off 1). Harbhajan was bowled out 1 on 1 on the last ball of the match.

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