A well-rounded victory against arch-rivals Pakistan saw India claim a gold medal in the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026.
Led by a power-packed batting display, the Indian bowlers were able to see through a top podium finish in Nagoya. While Pakistan claimed a silver, Sri Lanka emerged triumphant over Bangladesh to clinch the bronze medal.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first. A decision that was followed by opener Abhishek Sharma (61) setting the tone early on in the game.
The left-handed batter maintained a brisk scoring rate, laying the foundation for India with three fours and a whopping seven sixes during his stay.
While skipper Shreyas Iyer (21) and Ishan Kishan (20) added meaningful contributions with the bat, Pakistan had shifted the momentum with wickets falling at regular intervals.
However, Tilak Varma ensured that India finished their innings on a high note, scoring an unbeaten 51 off just 22 deliveries as India put on 211/6 off their 20 overs.
Defending a huge total in testing conditions for the batters, India didn't let go of their advantage as bowlers maintained a tight grip.
While Hasan Nawaz went on to score a commendable 96 off 51 balls, wickets falling at the other end meant Pakistan fell short of the total by 19 runs.
