India Beat Pakistan to Win Asian Games Gold
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the 2026 Asian Games, securing a second consecutive gold medal after a powerful batting performance and a disciplined finish with the ball.
Abhishek Sharma Powers India to 211
India elected to bat and raced through the Powerplay, reaching 81 runs despite a surface offering assistance to spinners.
Abhishek Sharma led the early assault with 61, bringing up his half-century in just 20 balls. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also contributed aggressively before falling, while Sanju Samson was dismissed cheaply.
India briefly lost momentum through the middle overs before Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube restored the scoring rate. Tilak struck an unbeaten 51 from 21 balls, while Dube added 27 as India finished on 211/6.
Hasan Nawaz Keeps Pakistan in Chase
Pakistan lost early wickets and ended the Powerplay at 39/2, with Axar Patel and Washington Sundar applying pressure.
Hasan Nawaz then revived the chase with a superb 96, combining with Saim Ayub for an 87-run partnership. Ayub made 29 as Pakistan briefly threatened to push the contest deep.
However, the required rate kept climbing as India regained control through timely wickets.
India Clinch Asian Games Cricket Gold
Washington Sundar delivered a crucial 18th over, while Jasprit Bumrah controlled the penultimate over with accurate yorkers.
Shivam Dube then defended 33 runs in the final over, dismissing Nawaz off the last ball as Pakistan finished on 192/6.
Axar, Washington and Dube took two wickets each as India completed a 19-run victory and secured the Asian Games gold medal.
