- India’s women’s table tennis team defeated Pakistan 3-0.
- India topped Group F, advancing to quarterfinals with victory.
- Players exchanged handshakes, contrasting recent India-Pakistan cricket matches.
India’s women’s table tennis team defeated Pakistan 3-0 at the Asian Games 2026 to finish top of Group F and book a place in the quarterfinals with three consecutive victories. The result was accompanied by another notable moment as Indian and Pakistani players exchanged handshakes after their matches. The gesture contrasted with recent India-Pakistan cricket meetings, where players have repeatedly skipped the customary handshake amid tensions between the two countries and a continuing cricket-specific no-handshake trend.
India Beat Pakistan 3-0 In Asian Games Table Tennis
India began the tie strongly through Sutirtha Mukherjee, who defeated Aleena Khan 11-3, 11-3, 11-4. The Indian player completed her match within just 10 minutes overall.
Syndrela Das then extended India’s advantage by beating Kalsoom Khan 11-6, 11-7, 11-5. The 17-year-old continued her impressive international form after earning selection for India’s senior squad this season.
WATCH: India And Pakistan Player Shake Hands After Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis Match
Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das and Sreeja Akula seal a 3-0 win without dropping a game in Table Tennis Women’s Team Event. 💪
Watch the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV #AsianGames… pic.twitter.com/An6us82cxF
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 21, 2026
No issues with handshakes in India vs Pakistan table tennis
Cricket should follow. But they wont. 🤦#AsianGames pic.twitter.com/oTDa5r5PI4
— Kingshuk Kusari (@KusariKingshuk) September 21, 2026
Sreeja Akula completed India’s 3-0 victory against Pakistan after defeating Fatima Khan 11-4, 11-4, 11-5. Akula needed only 11 minutes to seal the decisive win for India.
The victory followed India’s earlier group-stage successes against Indonesia and Singapore. Three consecutive wins ensured India finished at the top of Group F and progressed into the quarterfinals.
Handshakes Stand Out Amid India-Pakistan Cricket Standoff
The post-match handshakes between Indian and Pakistani table tennis players attracted attention because recent cricket meetings between the countries have featured repeated avoidance of the customary gesture.
The cricket trend began during the 2025 men’s Asia Cup and continued into subsequent India-Pakistan matches. The two sides again avoided handshakes during their Women’s Asia Cup fixture in Dubai earlier this month.
That cricket-specific pattern has not been replicated across every sport. Indian and Pakistani athletes have continued to exchange customary gestures of sportsmanship in several other international competitions.
The contrast was particularly noticeable at the Asian Games, where the table tennis players followed the conventional sporting practice after completing their respective matches against each other.
India’s Strong Asian Games Table Tennis Campaign
Mukherjee entered the Asian Games after winning a women’s doubles bronze medal at the Hangzhou Games and provided India with a commanding start against Pakistan.
Das, currently ranked 99th in the ITTF women’s singles rankings according to the supplied report, also continued her rise after being rewarded with a place in India’s senior Asian Games squad.
Akula then delivered the final point without dropping a game, completing another convincing result for an Indian team that had already secured victories against Indonesia and Singapore.
India’s progress into the quarterfinals adds another strong result to its Asian Games campaign, while the post-match handshakes provided a notable reminder that sporting interactions between the two countries can differ across disciplines.
The latest cricket-related backdrop includes India’s women’s team declining to receive the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
In table tennis, however, the India-Pakistan meeting concluded with players exchanging handshakes, keeping the focus firmly on competition and customary sporting etiquette at the Asian Games.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
