In the men’s cricket final of the 2026 Asian Games held at Korogi Sports Park on Saturday, October 3, India displayed a commanding performance to defeat arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs and successfully defend their gold medal.
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs and successfully defend their gold medal
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Indian team posted a formidable total of 211/6 in their 20 overs—the highest score ever recorded in the first innings of an Ind-Pakistan T20 International match. Opener Abhishek Sharma set the tone for the match with a blistering knock of 61 off just 28 balls; he reached his half-century in a mere 20 deliveries and struck seven boundaries.
In the latter stages of the innings, Tilak Varma showcased excellent finishing skills, remaining unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls. Varma shared a crucial 62-run partnership off just 30 balls with Shivam Dube, propelling Ind past the 200-run mark, even as Pakistan’s Ahmed Daniyal and Arafat Minhas bowled well to claim two wickets each.
Chasing a challenging target of 212, Pakistan launched a spirited counter-attack led by opener Hasan Nawaz. Nawaz played fearlessly, scoring 96 off 51 balls and sharing an 87-run stand with Saim Ayub to keep Pakistan’s hopes of victory alive. However, the Indian bowlers held their nerve under pressure.
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Axar Patel and Washington Sundar curbed the run rate during the middle overs, claiming two wickets apiece for 29 runs, while Shivam Dube also picked up two crucial wickets. Ultimately, Pakistan fell short by 19 runs, and India secured a historic gold medal. Along with retaining the title, some special records were also set in this match: Abhishek Sharma equaled the record for the most sixes (7) hit in an India-Pakistan T20I, while wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan completed 1,000 runs in men’s T20Is.
