Watch: Shreyas Iyer skips handshake with Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan at Asian Games final toss

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer and Pakistan skipper Sahibzada Farhan did not shake hands during the toss ahead of the men’s cricket final at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Saturday. The moment came before the highly anticipated India-Pakistan gold-medal clash at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

The two captains came out for the toss, but live visuals showed that there was no handshake between Iyer and Farhan. India won the toss and elected to bat first in the final, which saw the two teams meet with the gold medal at stake.

The absence of the customary handshake continued the pattern seen during recent India-Pakistan cricket encounters. The moment quickly attracted attention among fans, with the toss visuals being widely discussed on social media.

 Watch the viral video here:

Shreyas Iyer, Sahibzada Farhan skip handshake at IND vs PAK Asian Games final toss

The gold medal match between India and Pakistan is being played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat first. India have also kept the same playing XI that featured in their semi-final win.

There was no handshake between Iyer and Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan when the two came out for the toss. However, the captains exchanged smiles and acknowledged each other with a nod before getting ready for the important final.

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The Asian Games final is the first men's cricket meeting between India and Pakistan at the continental event. India reached the final after beating Sri Lanka by 124 runs, while Pakistan secured their place in the gold-medal match with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh.

India vs Pakistan no-handshake row: Timeline and what both sides have said

The no-handshake practice between India and Pakistan has continued since their Asia Cup meeting in September last year. The development came amid tensions between the two countries, including military developments such as Operation Sindoor.

Since then, Indian cricket teams have followed a no-handshake approach during several recent fixtures against Pakistan in ICC and ACC tournaments. The practice has also drawn attention during tosses and post-match interactions between the two teams.

See also -Watch: Saim Ayub's celebration on dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IND vs PAK Asian Games 2026 Gold Medal match

Saturday’s final in Nisshin is the first men’s cricket meeting between India and Pakistan at the Asian Games, with the gold medal at stake. Earlier, the Indian women’s cricket team also won gold at the Asian Games after defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

Fan reactions and what the no-handshake moment means for India vs Pakistan

The no-handshake moment between Shreyas Iyer and Sahibzada Farhan quickly caught the attention of fans during the Asian Games final toss. The two captains exchanged smiles and acknowledged each other with a nod, but did not shake hands before the match began.

The moment soon became a talking point on social media, with fans sharing the toss video and reacting to the unusual start to the India-Pakistan final. The no-handshake practice has been seen in recent meetings between the two teams, adding more attention to the latest incident. Here is how the fans reacted on X:

With the gold medal at stake, India and Pakistan are meeting in the men's cricket final at the Asian Games for the first time. Fans will now turn their focus to the action on the field as both teams look to finish the tournament with the gold medal.