India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men's cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to win the gold medal at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
Batting first after winning the toss, India posted 211/6 in 20 overs, with Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma playing key roles with the bat. Pakistan put up a strong fight in the chase but India held their nerve in the final stages to secure a 19-run victory and claim the gold medal.
Abhishek Sharma Sets The Tone
India got off to a brilliant start, with Abhishek Sharma leading the charge against Pakistan. The left-handed opener smashed 61 off just 28 balls, which includes hitting three fours and seven sixes.
The 26-year-old brought up his half-century in just 20 balls and also reached the milestone of 400 T20 sixes during his explosive innings, as he also became the second-fastest batter to reach the landmark number, doing so in 3,513 balls.
His seven sixes also saw him equal his idol's record, Yuvraj Singh's for the most sixes by an Indian batter in an India-Pakistan T20 clash.
Abhishek's innings came to an end when Pakistan's bowler Arafat Minhas dismissed him in the eighth over, but India had already made a strong start.India's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could not convert his start into a big innings, scoring 15 runs off nine balls.
Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube Provide Late Surge
Even after losing wickets in the middle overs, India needed a strong finish. Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube delivered exactly that.
India's vice-captain Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes. Dube contributed 27 off 15 deliveries, with two fours and two sixes.
The pair added 62 runs from 31 balls for the sixth wicket, helping India finish on 211/6 after 20 overs.
Pakistan Fight Till The End
Chasing 212 for the gold medal, Pakistan kept the contest alive with an aggressive response, with Hassan Nawaz leading the charge.
He played a brilliant knock of 96 runs off 51 balls, including five boundaries and seven sixes, and kept Pakistan in the chase until his dismissal.
However, India managed to control the crucial moments and restricted Pakistan to finish 19 runs short of the target.
India's all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar were brilliant with the ball, with both picking up two wickets in their four overs while conceding 29 runs at an economy rate of 7.25.
The victory handed India another gold medal in men's cricket at the Asian Games. India had also won the men's cricket gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
India-Pakistan Asian Games Final
The final marked the first meeting of India and Pakistan in Asian Games cricket,
India reached the gold medal match by defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semifinal, while Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in the last-four clash.
India's win means the men's team has successfully defended the Asian Games cricket title, adding to the country's gold medal tally in Aichi-Nagoya.
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