No handshake at toss as India opt to bat in Asian Games final against Pakistan

India won the toss against Pakistan in the Asian Games cricket final. (CREIMAS)

India captain Shreyas Iyer and his Pakistani counterpart Sahibzada Farhan did not shake hands at the toss of the Asian Games final in Japan on Saturday. Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first.

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The routine gesture has become a talking point whenever the two countries meet in cricket, and Saturday’s final at Korogi Sports Park is the latest chapter in a saga that began at last year’s Asia Cup.

India and Pakistan have avoided the customary handshake at the toss and after matches since their meetings at the 2025 Asia Cup. The practice continued at the Women’s World Cup, the Under-19 Asia Cup and, more recently, the Women’s Asia Cup in September 2026.

The backdrop has been the deterioration in relations between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 and the military escalation that followed. At the 2025 Asia Cup, the two teams met three times and did not exchange handshakes at the toss or after the matches. India also declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council.

The practice has largely remained confined to cricket. At the ongoing Asian Games, Indian and Pakistani athletes have continued to exchange handshakes and greetings in other sports. For instance, Indian and Pakistani table-tennis players shook hands after their matches, while the two countries’ hockey teams also displayed sporting camaraderie during their semifinal.

The issue has also prompted comments from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Naqvi said in December 2025 that Pakistan would not insist on a handshake if India did not want one, while also saying politics should not come into cricket.

The junior teams have followed the same pattern. At the Under-19 Asia Cup in December 2025 and at the Under-19 World Cup this year, India captain Ayush Mhatre and Pakistan’s Farhan Yousaf did not shake hands at the toss.