NISSHIN, Japan: India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games men’s cricket final at the Korogi Sports Park, defending their title and claiming a second consecutive gold in the competition.
India, who won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, came in as defending champions. Pakistan were featuring in their first-ever men’s cricket gold-medal match at the Games and were chasing a maiden gold. The final was also the first meeting between the two sides in Asian Games history.
India won the toss, chose to bat and finished on 211/6 from their 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma gave them a blistering start, hitting 61 off just 28 balls. His seven sixes put him level with Yuvraj Singh for the most by an Indian batter in an India-Pakistan T20I innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made 15 off nine balls before falling, while Tilak Varma launched a late charge to finish unbeaten on 51. India scored 69 runs in the last four overs, setting Pakistan a target of 212.
Pakistan’s chase began with a 33-run opening stand between Maaz Sadaqat and captain Sahibzada Farhan, which ended when Washington Sundar dismissed Farhan. Wickets kept falling, but Hasan Nawaz put up a strong fight for the Men in Green, scoring 96 from 51 deliveries with five fours and seven sixes. He also shared an 87-run partnership with Saim Ayub.
India’s bowlers, however, stayed consistent, with Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Sundar taking two wickets apiece. Ravi Bishnoi was the only bowler to struggle, conceding 44 runs in his three overs.
The make-up of both bowling attacks was notable. India went in with just one specialist fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, along with seamer Dube, while Patel, Sundar and Bishnoi supplied the spin. Pakistan likewise relied on Ahmed Daniyal as their lone specialist quick, with Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed leading the spin department.
The win takes India to 81 medals and 19 golds at the 2026 Asian Games. It is also their second cricket gold of the tournament, after the women’s team defended its title earlier. Pakistan, meanwhile, collected their second silver of the Games, bringing their overall tally to eight medals.