Abhishek Sharma was on a mission at the Karogi Sports Park on Saturday. With India taking on Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket final, the Indian opener provided the perfect start to the gold-medal clash.
Taking on Pakistan from the very beginning, Abhishek went on the attack straight away. His first six came off Saad Masood in the second over, and he went on to hit six more.
After smashing his fourth six, Abhishek surpassed Chris Gayle to become the second-fastest batter to hit 400 sixes in T20 cricket. He reached the landmark in 3,513 balls, bettering Gayle's previous mark of 3,557 balls.
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Abhishek Sharma Matches Yuvraj Singh Record
Abhishek's seven sixes also saw him equal Yuvraj Singh's record for the most sixes by an Indian batter in an innings in India-Pakistan clashes.
The India opener now has 14 sixes against Pakistan in T20Is, the most in matches between the two sides. He surpassed Virat Kohli's tally of 11 sixes against Pakistan.
Most sixes in an innings in an India-Pakistan T20I
7 - Yuvraj Singh, Ahmedabad, 2012
7 - Abhishek Sharma, Nisshin, 2026
5 - Abhishek Sharma, Dubai, 2025
Fewest balls to 400 T20 sixes
3,027 - A Russell
3,513 - Abhishek Sharma
3,557 - C Gayle
3,803 - T David
3,944 - K Pollard
4,045 - N Pooran
4,072 - E Lewis
Fewest balls to 100 T20 sixes in a calendar year
589 - A Russell (2019)
651 - Abhishek Sharma (2026)
653 - D Brevis (2025)
724 - C Gayle (2016)
728 - Karanbir Singh(2025)
India Opt To Bat First Against Pakistan
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer-led Team India opted to bat first against Pakistan in the men's cricket final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
India went into the gold-medal clash with an unchanged playing XI, with Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur and Vipraj Nigam remaining on the bench.
The spotlight was also on players such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan and Jasprit Bumrah as India looked to defend their Asian Games title.
Pakistan, meanwhile, made one change to their team. Batting all-rounder Saad Masood was brought into the XI in place of fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr.
India vs Pakistan: First Asian Games Cricket Clash
The final marked the first meeting between India and Pakistan in cricket at the Asian Games, across both the men's and women's events.
India began participating in the cricket competition at the continental showpiece from the 2023 Hangzhou Games onwards. However, the two arch-rivals had not faced each other in the tournament until the 2026 final, with the gold medal now at stake.
How India And Pakistan Reached The Final
India made light work of a second-string Sri Lankan side in the semifinal on a challenging surface, registering a commanding 124-run victory. Ishan Kishan and the Indian bowlers played key roles in the win.
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However, Pakistan chased the modest target of 112 against Bangladesh in their semifinal, winning with six wickets in hand and nine balls to spare in a curtailed game.
Nisshin: Rain washed out the quarterfinal matches for both India and Pakistan. It marked their first appearance at the Asian Games in their respective semifinals.
Thus, the gold-medal clash was the first time that the two arch-rivals met in Asian Games cricket, with India seeking to defend their title against Pakistan.
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