India storms into Asian Games cricket final after crushing Sri Lanka

Team India reached the final of the Asian Games after securing a massive 124-run win over Sri Lanka in the semi-final. India batted first and set a target of 170 runs for their opponents. Sri Lanka collapsed completely during the chase and got bowled out for just 45 runs. Jasprit Bumrah delivered a brilliant opening spell to put early pressure on the Sri Lankan batters. Bumrah struck twice in the very first over by trapping Sineth lbw for a duck and getting Sohan caught behind by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who safely pouched the catch.

Final Match Preview

India will now face Pakistan in the gold medal match on Saturday after Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in their respective semi-final encounter. The upcoming clash has brought renewed attention to the ongoing practice where Indian and Pakistani cricketers do not shake hands after matches, a trend that began following Operation Sindhur last year and continued through past Asia Cup and ICC events. While tennis and squash players from the two nations shook hands during the current Games, the decision for the cricket team rests with BCCI official Devajit Saikia, who is traveling to Nagoya to watch the final alongside ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Regardless of the match outcome, both teams will share the podium for the medal ceremony, just as the Indian women's team shared it with bronze-medaling Pakistan players last week.

Context

The Olympic Council of Asia organizes the Asian Games, while the International Olympic Committee rules do not strictly make handshakes mandatory, though athletes usually practice them to show sportsmanship. Past international sports events have seen similar handshake controversies, such as a 2016 judo incident and recent refusals by Ukrainian athletes against Russian and Belarusian opponents.