The India vs Pakistan gold medal match at the Asian Games 2026 started with an interesting yet familiar moment at the toss on Saturday (October 3). India National Cricket Team captain Shreyas Iyer and Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Sahibzada Farhan did not shake hands when they met for the toss, but both players were seen smiling and nodding at each other.
The gold medal match is being played at the Asian Games 2026 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday, with India choosing to bat first after Iyer won the toss against Pakistan. India has also decided to stick with the same playing XI that played in their previous semifinal match. Amid this, Shreyas Iyer gets advice from Mohammad Kaif, urged to continue VVS Laxman’s winning formula.
No handshake between Shreyas Iyer and Sahibzada Farhan, but Smiles before IND vs PAK Gold Medal clash
India has continued their no-handshake policy against Pakistan in the gold medal match at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday in Nisshin. There was no handshake between the two captains, Shreyas Iyer and Sahibzada Farhan, as they arrived for the toss at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
However, Iyer and Farhan exchanged smiles and acknowledged each other with a nod before getting ready for the big game. After winning the toss, Iyer opted to bat first, and India will now look to make a strong start in the Asian Games gold medal clash in Nisshin on Saturday.
INDIA BATTING FIRST IN ASIAN GAMES MEN'S CRICKET 🇮🇳
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 3, 2026
- Time to go for the 19th Gold Medal 🔥
India are unchanged from the Semi final. pic.twitter.com/K18NQ8OoXL
India’s no-handshake stand with Pakistan has continued even in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and International Cricket Council (ICC) events since Operation Sindoor last year.
Indian players across the age group and women have avoided the traditional handshake with their Pakistani counterparts as a gesture of solidarity with the Indian armed forces. As a result, pre-match and post-match handshakes between the two teams are likely to remain absent in future encounters.
Playing XIs for the Gold Medal match:
India's Playing XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan's Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan(c), Maaz Sadaqat, Usman Khan (wk), Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhas, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Moqim
How India and Pakistan reach final
India and Pakistan entered the knockout stage directly, but rain didn't allow neither team to play before the semi-finals. Their ICC T20I Rankings took them straight into the semifinals.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the semi-final after quick cameos from Hassan Nawaz and Abdul Samad. Meanwhile, India crushed Sri Lanka by 124 runs after scoring 169 and bowling them out for just 45. Amid this, Jay Shah to present medals as Mohsin Naqvi to miss India vs Pakistan Asian Games 2026 final.
Tilak Varma ready to bowl against Pakistan as India eye Asian Games Gold Medal
On the other hand, Tilak Varma hinted that he can bowl against Pakistan in the gold medal clash. The all-rounder revealed that he has been practicing his bowling and is ready to bowl if a left-handed batter comes to the crease. He is also keen to get more chances with the ball.
Tilak said before the match as quoted by NDTV: “Yes, sir. I've been practicing and hopefully if lefty is there, 100%, I'll be bowling, sir. I will adapt to the situation and the captain, but I'm quite ready to bowl, sir. [You know what you should do]? You should sulk and tell the captain that you're not very happy with what happened in the last game. Abhishek Sharma got a couple of overs, and you should be saying, if he can bowl two, surely, I can bowl at least one. And there were a few left-handers. So, the best way to get bowling is not just by practicing in the net.”
