GUWAHATI: India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs on Saturday, October 3, to claim the men’s T20 cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
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Batting first after Pakistan elected to field, India posted a formidable 211/6 in their 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma provided a blistering start, smashing a 20-ball half-century before finishing with 61 runs on the converted baseball field.
India crossed the 100-run mark in just 55 balls, but Pakistan fought back with the wickets of Ishan Kishan, who made 20, and captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 21.
Tilak Varma and Shiv Dube then shifted the momentum back in India’s favour, adding 62 runs in five overs for the sixth wicket. Their late assault helped India register the highest total of the tournament, surpassing their 169/7 against Sri Lanka in the semifinal.Despite a slow start to the chase, Hasan Nawaz looked dangerous as he scored 96 (51). However, Pakistan ended up on the losing side as the match went into the final over.
Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube picked two wickets each, with the spinners pulling down the scoring rate to help India win.
Chasing 212, Pakistan were powered by Hasan Nawaz, who produced a valiant 96. However, the Pakistan innings ended at 192/6 as India held their nerve to secure a 19-run victory and the gold medal.
