{
  "id": 11599890,
  "title": "No handshake at toss as India opt to bat in Asian Games final against Pakistan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/no-handshake-at-toss-as-india-opt-to-bat-in-asian-games-final-against",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T04:17:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-vs-pakistan-final-no-toss-handshake-asian-games-shreyas-iyer-sahibzada-farhan-10904786/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "In the Asian Games final at Korogi Sports Park, India captain Shreyas Iyer elected to bat first after winning the toss against Pakistan, declining to shake hands with his counterpart Sahibzada Farhan. This gesture of non-handshaking between the two nations has become a recurring theme in their cricket encounters, originating from the 2025 Asia Cup and continuing through subsequent tournaments including the Women's World Cup, Under-19 Asia Cup, and Women's Asia Cup. The cessation of handshakes is linked to the deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 and subsequent military escalations. Despite the strained relations, athletes from both countries continue to shake hands and exhibit sportsmanship in other disciplines at the Asian Games, such as table-tennis and hockey. The Pakistan Cricket Board has acknowledged the practice, stating that Pakistan would not insist on handshakes if India did not agree, emphasizing that politics should not intrude into cricket.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "HT Morning Brief October 3: Anti-CEC stir thwarted in Delhi; India basks in six-gold glory at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/ht-morning-brief-october-3-anti-cec-stir-thwarted-in-delhi-india",
        "published": "2026-10-03T03:28:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "India News Live Updates 3 October 2026: Two migrant workers killed in Kerala after borewell rig accident",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/india-news-live-updates-3-october-2026-two-migrant-workers-killed-in",
        "published": "2026-10-03T04:20:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Two migrant workers killed as borewell rig overturns onto house in Keralam",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/two-migrant-workers-killed-as-borewell-rig-overturns-onto-house-in",
        "published": "2026-10-03T05:18:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}