The ongoing India vs Pakistan match erupted into another controversy at the toss at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur tossed the coin, while Pakistan captain Fatima Sana called “tails” - the coin landed “heads.” The commentator Mel Jones and the match referee then confirmed it to be “heads,” but Pakistan was declared the winner of the toss and chose to field first.

The strange misunderstanding quickly garnered attention on social media as supporters were shocked at how something like that could happen at the global stage. Many wondered how both Harmanpreet and the match referee could have heard “heads” when the final decision was made for Pakistan, and they believed it would have really escalated if India had lost the toss in a similar scenario.

To further escalate the tension, the captains continued the “no-handshake” trend that had started in the 2025 Asia Cup. When Harmanpreet and Fatima arrived at the toss, they did not greet each other, clearly standing apart from each other. Once both players were done with their interviews, they walked directly towards the dressing room without even raising their heads to acknowledge one another, a micro-protocol that displayed the ongoing symbolisation of their frustration towards each other.

Fatima Sana’s “tails” call, followed by the match referee’s “heads” became one of the most talked about moments of the match, taking over the match discussion for what was happening on the field.

India, who had previously defeated Pakistan 11-0 in ODIs, had to change their playing eleven with Renuka Singh replacing Amanjot Kaur, who had been injured. They switched players before the game.

Pakistan brought in Sadaf Shamas to replace Omaima Sohail.

The men's Asia Cup, which concluded recently, was affected by political tension, as all three encounters between India and Pakistan took place in an openly hostile environment. Neither squad shook hands before or after the match, signalling the difficult relationship the two nations share.