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Amanjot sidesteps handshake question ahead of IND-PAK Women’s WC clash

Kaushik Kashyap

Amanjot Kaur after SL game. [Source - BCCI/x.com]Amanjot Kaur after SL game. [Source - BCCI/x.com]

India’s Women’s World Cup campaign got off to a flying start in Guwahati with scintillating victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday, September 30th. But the focus after the match quickly shifted from cricketing brilliance to political undertones.

All-rounder Amanjot Kaur was one of the standout performers in the first game for India. Walking in to bat with the side struggling at 124/6 in a rain-trimmed 47-over contest, she steadied the innings with a crucial half-century.

Alongside Deepti Sharma, the 25-year-old built a 100-plus-run stand that lifted India to a competitive 269. Later, she chipped in with the ball as well, picking up a wicket to cap off a fine all-round performance in India's 59-run win over the Lankans.

Focus turns to India-Pakistan noise

When addressing the media after the win, Amanjot was asked a question that went beyond the boundary ropes. She was asked if the Indian players would complete the customary handshake with their Pakistani counterparts in the much anticipated group stage clash in Colombo.

The question carries weight, given the backdrop of the men’s Asia Cup where India and Pakistan met three times under intense scrutiny and India refused handshakes in all three after the game, amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent cross-border hostilities.

Amanjot, however, refused to be drawn into the matter and ducked the question quite gracefully with a smile.

“One day at a time. Today’s game is over, it ended well. Congratulations that India won,” Amanjot said as quoted by India Today.

Her brief response reflects the sensitivity surrounding India-Pakistan contests, where sport often collides with larger political realities. For now, India’s attention remains on continuing their winning start to the tournament, but Sunday’s clash on October 5th in Colombo is bound to carry some things that stretch far beyond the scoreboard.