Will India And Pakistan Shake Hands This Time? The Question Hanging Over Asian Games Final

India and Pakistan will meet in the Asian Games cricket final on Saturday, but ahead of the high-profile showdown, attention is once again turning to a question away from the cricket, whether the two teams will shake hands.

India booked their place in the final with a 124-run victory over Sri Lanka in Nisshin on Thursday, setting up another meeting with their traditional rivals.

The build-up is expected to focus heavily on the conduct of the players, after Indian cricketers have avoided handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts during Asia Cup and ICC events since Operation Sindoor last year, as a mark of solidarity with the Indian armed forces.

However, the Asian Games are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) rather than the International Cricket Council or Asian Cricket Council. This has raised the question of whether the approach followed in cricket's bilateral and continental events will also apply at the multi-sport competition.

OCA and International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules do not make handshakes mandatory, although the gesture is widely considered part of sporting conduct and the spirit of friendship associated with international competition.

There have been instances of athletes declining handshakes for political reasons. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby refused to shake hands with Israeli opponent Or Sasson. The IOC reprimanded him for violating the spirit of fair play and friendship, while his own team later sent him home.

Indian athletes competing in other sports at the ongoing Asian Games have already exchanged customary handshakes with Pakistani opponents. Players from India and Pakistan were seen following the tradition in table tennis and squash, highlighting the different sporting contexts.

For the cricket final, the decision on the team's conduct could be taken after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reaches Nagoya. ICC chairman Jay Shah is also expected to attend the match.

Whatever happens, India and Pakistan will have to share the medal podium after the final, making the post-match moment another closely watched part of Saturday's contest.