India has successfully defended its Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the 2026 final at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin. The victory ensures India retains the title they won in Hangzhou, solidifying their position at the top of the podium in Nagoya.
India posted 211/6 in their 20 overs, led by an aggressive 61 from Abhishek Sharma and an unbeaten 51 from Tilak Varma. In response, Pakistan reached 192/6, with Hasan Nawaz scoring 96 off 51 balls, falling short of the target as the Indian bowling unit restricted the scoring in the final overs.
The gold medal win followed a week of significant disruption. Captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed that the team had been unable to conduct outdoor practice sessions for nearly seven days prior to the final due to heavy rain in Japan.
“If have to use a word, I would say ecstatic,” Iyer said following the match. “Since the day we arrived in Japan, it was raining cats and dogs and we couldn’t practise for almost a week. But the boys, the way they prepped themselves and also we were doing our training on the side. We didn’t complain, we didn’t give any reason. So that was a sign of a champion itself, champion team.”
The final also featured the inclusion of 15-year-old opening batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Indian playing XI. Before play commenced, the ongoing no-handshake protocol between the two sides remained in effect, as Iyer and Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan did not exchange the customary greeting at the toss.
Iyer credited the result to the team’s ability to produce individual performances under pressure. “When you’re playing a final, you want each and every individual to step up and deliver. And that’s what we witnessed today. Abhishek giving us that start and then Tilak basically finishing off the innings,” the captain said.
The result sees Pakistan take the silver medal, while Sri Lanka finished the tournament with bronze. The victory marks India’s second consecutive gold medal in the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games.
