India Defend Asian Games Cricket Gold, Beat Pakistan by 19 Runs

India successfully defended their Asian Games men’s cricket title, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.

Batting first, India posted a formidable 211/6 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma smashed 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls. Shivam Dube provided a late boost with 27 off 15 deliveries.

Pakistan put up a strong fight in the chase, with Hasan Nawaz scoring 96, but India held their nerve to restrict Pakistan to 192/6. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube picked up two wickets each as India secured the gold medal.

The victory marks India’s second consecutive Asian Games gold in men’s cricket, following their triumph at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. India’s women’s team had also retained its cricket gold earlier in the tournament, giving the country two cricket gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games.

With the men’s cricket gold, India moved to 19 gold medals and 81 medals overall. India are currently fifth in the Asian Games medal tally, according to the latest available standings.

India’s tally: 19 Gold | 26 Silver | 36 Bronze | 81 Total — 5th place.