Photo via India Today

India vs Pakistan: Cricket teams skip handshake, others embrace Asian Games spirit

During the Asian Games, the cricket clash between India and Pakistan in Nisshin featured no pre-match handshake between captains Shreyas Iyer and Sahibzada Farhan at Korogi Sports Park, mirroring tensions from the 2025 Asia Cup and September 2026 women's fixtures. During the match, Pakistan's Saim Ayub dismissed fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and celebrated with a cradle gesture send-off after the young opener hit two sixes.

In contrast to the cricket teams, athletes in squash, table tennis, hockey, and volleyball displayed considerable warmth and sportsmanship, highlighted by Abhay Singh and Muhammad Irfan shaking hands following their semifinal, a 4-3 hockey result where Pakistan coach Tahir Zaman interacted with the Indian squad, and a 3-0 volleyball encounter where Musaweer Khan comforted Amit Balwan Singh.

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