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"We Are Not...," Deepti Reveals If India Players Will Avoid Handshake Vs Pakistan In Women's WC

Soumyajit Dutta

Fatima Sana and Deepti Sharma [Source: @urban_angel/X.com]Fatima Sana and Deepti Sharma [Source: @urban_angel/X.com]

Ahead of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup next month, the women's circuit is now feeling the shockwaves from the Indian men's team's diplomatic handshake snub against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. All eyes are on the women's team to follow a similar protocol, with the high-stakes India-Pakistan match in Colombo just over two weeks away.

Senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma of the Indian women's team responded coolly and collectedly to this developing storm, deftly refocusing attention away from hasty geopolitical posturing and back to cricket and the team's current problems.

Deepti On The Handshake Snub Scenario

Ahead of the second ODI match against Australia on September 16, Deepti was asked directly by the media if she thought the handshake snub would happen again in the Women's World Cup. Her response was brief and practical, highlighting the team's current priorities. 

“That match is far away, and when it happens, we will see what to do. We are not focussing on the Asia Cup at the moment; our focus is on this series,” Sharma told reporters.

India Women's Focus Firmly on Australian Challenge

Deepti's focus on the current series highlights the team's current goal, which is to compete against a strong Australian team. Despite scoring a respectable 281/7, India lost the opening ODI by eight wickets, and Deepti emphasised the importance of finding the positives in the performance. 

“We would rather take the positives away from the match, like the partnerships we had in our inning and the small things we were able to do well. And we don’t think there is much of a gap between Australia and India. We always play to win,” Sharma said.

This three-game series against Australia is an important World Cup practice. The main match against Pakistan is set for October 5 in Colombo, while the Indian women's campaign starts on September 30 against Sri Lanka.