NISSHIN (Japan), OCTOBER 3: India retained the men’s cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in a high-stakes final at the Korogi Sports Park here on Saturday.
India posted 211 for six in 20 overs. Pakistan managed 192 for six in reply.
Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 61 off 28 balls, laced with three fours and seven sixes. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on a rapid 51 off 22 deliveries (three fours, four sixes), while Shivam Dube chipped in with 27 off 15 balls. India recovered strongly after a middle-overs slowdown to post a challenging total.
Pakistan lost early wickets and slumped to 39 for three. Hasan Nawaz then produced a fighting 96 off 51 balls, hitting five fours and seven sixes, to keep the chase alive. Saim Ayub scored 29 and Maaz Sadaqat made 23, but the asking rate proved too steep. Pakistan finished on 192 for six.
Axar Patel and Washington Sundar were the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking two wickets each for 29 runs in four overs. Shivam Dube also claimed two wickets for 33 runs in three overs.
India won the toss and elected to bat. The side successfully defended the title it had won in Hangzhou in 2023. With the women’s team already having clinched gold earlier in these Games, India completed a golden double in cricket.
The victory marks India’s second successive men’s gold and fourth overall cricket gold at the Asian Games, underlining its dominance since making its debut in the sport at the continental multi-sport event.
Pakistan were chasing their first gold after winning bronze in the inaugural 2010 edition. Both teams had advanced to the semi-finals after rain washed out their quarter-finals, progressing as higher-seeded sides. India had crushed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-final, while Pakistan beat Bangladesh in a rain-reduced contest.
India have now won gold in both the men’s and women’s events in consecutive Asian Games editions. Pakistan hold two women’s titles from earlier Games but are yet to claim a men’s gold.
Prateeksha Kumari is a journalist and strategic communications professional specialising in digital journalism, political reporting, and public affairs. Her work focuses on grassroots issues, governance, and civic developments, with an emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and narrative-driven reporting.
She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and has qualified the UGC-NET examination, reflecting her academic grounding in media studies and communication research. Her reporting spans politics, public policy, health, education, and socio-economic issues, and she is experienced in bilingual (Hindi and English) content creation tailored to diverse audiences.
Alongside her journalistic work, she brings experience in political communication and public relations, where she has contributed to campaign messaging, media outreach, and narrative building. She has worked on integrated communication strategies across print and digital platforms, combining editorial judgment with audience insight and data-led content approaches.
