India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2012-13.
On Thursday, senior Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues and Pakistan captain Fatima Sana were spotted enjoying a warm hug following their teams' match in the Women's 'The Hundred' 2026 competition.
A video of the incident, coming in the background of ever-so-frosty political relations between the two countries, has gone viral on social media, polarizing opinions among cricket fans.
Since the horrific Pahalgam terror assault in 2025, there has been an unstated boycott of any amicable interactions between Indian and Pakistani athletes, primarily on the Indian side.
While players in other sports have restored handshakes and pleasantries, cricket has not progressed as much. Rodrigues and Fatima's union would be a breath of fresh air, for better or worse.
It was speculated that with several Indian IPL owners invested in The Hundred, Pakistani players might face an IPL-style shadow ban. However, Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the Sun Group, signed Pakistani men’s spinner Abar Ahmed to allay those fears.
Jemimah Rodrigues has done well for Southern Brave Women in the ongoing tournament, scoring 42*, 32 and 28* in the last three games.