- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,257,278
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Jemimah Rodrigues hugs Pakistan captain Fatima Sana in The Hundred despite India’s strict 'no handshake' protocol originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Jemimah Rodrigues hugs Pakistan's Fatima Sana during The Hundred in England.
- The incident comes despite India's official "no handshake" stance in international cricket.
- Southern Brave beat Birmingham Phoenix by 24 runs in Southampton clash.
Jemimah Rodrigues embraces Fatima Sana in England, cutting across India-Pakistan cricket tensions
A warm embrace between Jemimah Rodrigues and Fatima Sana has caught everyone's attention, since it comes at a time when India and Pakistan haven't been on the friendliest terms on the cricket field.
Ties between the two countries took a sharp downturn following the Pahalgam attack, and that chill has clearly seeped into how the teams interact during international matches.
India's men's side made headlines when they refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup, and from that match the "no handshake" protocol has been in place.
The women's team followed a similar path, keeping their distance from Pakistani players during the ODI World Cup.
Yet outside the boundaries of international cricket, in leagues played on foreign soil, players from both sides have continued to share warm moments, and this latest incident is a clear example of that.
MORE: 'No comparison': Akmal weighs in on Babar vs Gill in Tests after West Indies loss
WATCH: Jemimah Rodrigues hugs Fatima Sana in The Hundred
Jemimah is playing for the Southern Brave Women in The Hundred, whereas Sana has been registered by Birmingham Phoenix Women.
The two teams met at Southampton, and after the match ended, both the players shook hands and then shared a hug.
Rodrigues contributed a quickfire 28 off 18 deliveries, helping her side post a total of 140. Maia Bouchier chipped in with 45, and wicketkeeper-batter Lizelle Lee added 43 to bolster the Southern Brave innings.
In reply, Birmingham Phoenix fell short of the 141-run target, finishing on 116 for the loss of five wickets within their allotted 100 balls. Fatima Sana and captain Ellyse Perry were the two batters who stayed unbeaten as the innings closed. The moment the game ended, attention naturally shifted toward Rodrigues and Sana, and the two players did not ignore each other.
MORE: Weren't upto the mark': Babar points out two key reasons for PAK's defeat to WI
Sport still finds a way to rise above politics
There's something genuinely refreshing about watching two athletes set aside national tension, even briefly, to share a simple human gesture.
Cricket between India and Pakistan has become so heavily politicised in recent years that even a handshake now carries diplomatic weight, which says a lot about how far things have drifted from the spirit of the game.
What Rodrigues and Sana did wasn't a political statement; it was just two competitors respecting each other after a hard-fought match, the way sport is supposed to work.
It's worth noting that this moment happened away from the pressure cooker of an India-Pakistan bilateral fixture, in a neutral league where players aren't representing their governments so much as their franchises. That distinction matters.
MORE: 'Scared to face WI bowlers': Babar brutally trolled after PAK captain leaves tailender exposed in WI defeat
It suggests that the frostiness on show in international matches doesn't always come from the players themselves. More often, it's a call made by officials and decision-makers sitting well above them.
A hug like this isn't going to fix ties between two nations, but it does show fans something worth noticing: strip away the flags and the politics, and there are still individuals on that field who've built genuine respect for each other over years of playing the same sport. That counts for something, even if the larger picture stays unchanged for now.
For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.
Continue reading...
