Australia will be touring Pakistan soon for a three-match T20I series, starting January 29, 2026. A promo has been released for the tour, featuring some of the hosts’ players.
However, while the ad should have focused on Pakistan and Australia’s dynamics, the former snuck in a moment to try and mock India over the recent handshake row.
The promo features an Australian tourist in Pakistan. As he steps out of a cab, the driver calls him back saying “handshake bhool gaye aap, lagta hai padosiyo ke paas bhi ruke the (You forgot the handshake, looks like you even stopped by the neighbours)”. Check it out:
“Handshake bhool gaye aap lagta hai ,padosiyon ke paas bhi rukay thay aap”
PCB ABSOLUTELY COOKED INDIA IN THE PROMO FOR AUSTRALIA’S TOUR OF PAKISTAN 😂🔥
That’s some content 👌pic.twitter.com/SaQWmCHVkG
— junaiz (@dhillow_) January 21, 2026
India-Pakistan Handshake Row Explained
Following the deadly terrorist attack in India’s Pahalgam region, team India refused to shake hands with Pakistani players at the ACC Asia Cup 2025.
The two met on three occasions in the tournament, including the final, and kept their stance firm. When India beat Pakistan for the first time, they walked back to the dressing room and closed the door shut. Later on, Suryakumar Yadav, their captain, dedicated the win to the terrorist attack victims and their families.
Notably, India won on all three of these occasions at the Asia Cup, extending their impressive recent head-to-head record against the arch rival.
This ‘no-handshake’ sentiment was echoed by the country’s women’s team at the ICC Women’s World Cup, and even by the country’s youth teams in their respective fixtures with Pakistan.
The two sides will meet in a few weeks at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is being held majorly in India, but Pakistan have refused to travel and so the match, a group stage fixture, will be played in Sri Lanka instead.
