India won the men’s cricket gold at the Asian Games 2026. They defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final in Nisshin, Japan. It was a tense match that went down to the last ball.
India chose to bat first and scored 211 for 6 in their 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma played a big role at the top. He made 61 runs off just 28 balls. Tilak Varma also batted well. He finished unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls. Shivam Dube added a quick 27. For Pakistan, Arafat Minhas and Ahmed Daniyal each took two wickets. Abrar Ahmed was the most economical bowler.
Pakistan needed 212 to win. Their chase started well enough. But they lost wickets at regular intervals. Saim Ayub made 29. Usman Khan and Sahibzada Farhan fell cheaply. Hasan Nawaz kept Pakistan in the fight. He played a stunning innings of 96 runs. He hit big shots and kept the required rate within reach for a while.
India’s bowlers held their nerve. Axar Patel took two wickets. Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube also picked up wickets. Jasprit Bumrah played his 100th T20I. He did not have his best day, but he bowled an important penultimate over.
The match came down to the final over. Pakistan needed 33 runs. Shivam Dube bowled it. There was a wide. Nawaz hit a six. But Dube also delivered two dot balls and a yorker. On the last ball, Nawaz tried to pull and got a thin edge to the keeper. He was out for 96. India won by 19 runs.
Pakistan’s players were disappointed. Nawaz had fought hard, but he did not get enough support. India celebrated on the field. The team then took a lap around the stadium with the Indian flag. Fans cheered loudly.
This was India’s second straight Asian Games gold in men’s cricket. They also won the title in 2023. Pakistan had to settle for silver. It was a close final, but India’s batting and death bowling made the difference.
India vs Pakistan: Abhishek Sharma Sets New Six-Hitting Mark Against Pakistan in Asian Games Final
Abhishek Sharma made a big impact in the Asian Games final against Pakistan. He hit seven sixes. His powerful batting gave India a strong start.
One of those sixes helped him pass Chris Gayle on a T20 record list. Abhishek reached 400 sixes in T20 cricket in 3,513 balls. Gayle had taken 3,557 balls to get there. Only Andre Russell has been faster. He did it in 3,027 balls. The other quickest names on the list are Tim David (3,803), Kieron Pollard (3,944), Nicholas Pooran (4,045), and Evin Lewis (4,072).
Against Pakistan in T20Is, Abhishek now has 14 sixes. That is the most by any player in this fixture. Virat Kohli previously held the record with 11. Abhishek’s seven sixes in this innings also matched Yuvraj Singh’s seven in Ahmedabad in 2012.
Abhishek also had a strong year for six-hitting. He needed 651 balls to reach 100 T20 sixes in 2026. Only Andre Russell was quicker in a calendar year. Russell reached the mark in 589 balls in 2019. Dewald Brevis (653 in 2025), Chris Gayle (724 in 2016), and Karanbir Singh (728 in 2025) follow.
India chose to bat first in the final. They kept the same team that played the semi-final. Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, and Vipraj Nigam stayed on the bench. Pakistan made one change. Saad Masood came in for fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr.
This was the first time India and Pakistan met in Asian Games cricket. India had beaten Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-final. Pakistan chased 112 against Bangladesh in their semi-final. They won by six wickets with nine balls left. Rain had washed out both quarter-finals. So the semi-finals were the first matches either side played at the Games.
FAQs
Q. Who won the men’s cricket gold at the 2026 Asian Games?
A. India won the men’s cricket gold medal.
Q. By how many runs did India beat Pakistan?
A. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs.
Q. How many runs did India score?
A. India scored 211 runs for six wickets.
Q. Who scored 96 runs for Pakistan?
A. Hasan Nawaz scored 96 runs.
Q. How many times has India won the Asian Games cricket gold?
A. India has won the gold twice, in 2023 and 2026.
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