India are Asian Games champions again. In a final that swung from procession to cliffhanger and back, the defending champions beat arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, successfully defending the men's T20 gold they first won in Hangzhou three years ago. It is back-to-back gold for India — and, for Pakistan, a second-string side's valiant chase that fell just short of a historic first.
India, sent in by captain Shreyas Iyer after winning the toss, posted 211 for 6. Pakistan, chasing 212 on a slow, grippy turner, finished on 192 for 6 — dragged back into the contest almost single-handedly by a breathtaking 51-ball 96 from Hasan Nawaz before the required rate proved too steep.
Table of Contents
- The scorecard in brief
- India's innings: Abhishek blazes, Tilak finishes
- Pakistan's chase: the Nawaz scare
- How the final overs were won
- Back-to-back gold — and a historic double
- What it means for the rivalry
- Key takeaways
- FAQ
- Sources
- Related Chronicle coverage
The scorecard in brief
- India 211/6 (20 overs): Abhishek Sharma 61 (28), Tilak Varma 51* (22), Shivam Dube 27 (15); Arafat Minhas 3-25, Ahmed Daniyal 2-43
- Pakistan 192/6 (20 overs): Hasan Nawaz 96 (51), Saim Ayub 29 (22); Axar Patel 2-29, Washington Sundar 2-29, Shivam Dube 2-33
- Result: India won by 19 runs
- Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan
India's innings: Abhishek blazes, Tilak finishes
India's start was a study in controlled aggression. After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell for 15 and Sanju Samson managed just two, Abhishek Sharma took over. The left-hander smashed 61 from 28 balls — seven sixes and three fours — to give India's innings its early thrust before Arafat Minhas ended the fun.
The middle overs belonged to Pakistan's spinners. Ishan Kishan (20 off 18) and Iyer (21) fell to Minhas and Abrar Ahmed respectively, and at 139 for 5 India were momentarily under pressure. But Tilak Varma produced one of the innings of the tournament: an unbeaten 51 from just 22 deliveries, with Shivam Dube's 27 off 15 as the perfect supporting act. India's last-over assault carried them past 200 — a psychological threshold Pakistan's young side had rarely faced under this kind of spotlight.
India hit 15 sixes to Pakistan's 10, a difference that, on this ground's small boundaries, ultimately told.
Pakistan's chase: the Nawaz scare
Pakistan's reply started in disaster. Washington Sundar removed Sahibzada Farhan, and Axar Patel struck twice — Usman Khan for three, Maaz Sadaqat for 23 — to leave Pakistan reeling at 39 for 3. The final, at that point, looked a formality.
Then Hasan Nawaz happened. The young batter, in tandem with Saim Ayub (29 off 22) in an 87-run fourth-wicket stand, launched a counter-attack that turned the Nisshin evening on its head: five fours and seven sixes in a 51-ball 96 that kept Pakistan in touch all the way into the final over. For long stretches, the asking rate hovered at the edge of the possible, and Nawaz kept it there.
How the final overs were won
India's experience showed when it mattered most. Shivam Dube broke the stand with his very first ball, dismissing Ayub and swinging momentum back. Washington Sundar's clever change of pace removed Abdul Samad, and Jasprit Bumrah — wicketless but miserly (0-33 in four overs) — delivered a suffocating penultimate over that left Pakistan needing 33 from the last six balls.
The task was beyond even Nawaz. Off the final ball of the match, he nicked a slower bouncer from Dube behind, Sanju Samson completed the catch, and India's celebrations began. Dube finished with 2 for 33; Axar and Washington took two wickets apiece in a spin-led stranglehold that Pakistan's young middle order never quite solved.
Back-to-back gold — and a historic double
This is India's second consecutive Asian Games men's cricket gold, following the 2023 Hangzhou title — a medal awarded on T20I ranking after the final was washed out. This time there was no asterisk, no shared podium, no weather debate: India won it on the field, against their fiercest rivals.
The triumph also completes a remarkable cricket double for India at these Games: the women's team had already retained its gold earlier in the competition, meaning India depart Japan with both cricket titles — the only nation to sweep the boards in the sport's Asian Games history.
For Pakistan, the silver is bittersweet. A second-string squad, missing most of its established stars, pushed the tournament favourites to the final ball. It remains Pakistan's best-ever finish in Asian Games men's cricket — but it will be remembered as the one that Nawaz nearly won on his own.
What it means for the rivalry
India now hold a 4-3 advantage over Pakistan in finals of major tournaments (five or more teams) across formats — a statistic that underlines how fine the margins have become between these two sides. ESPNcricinfo's report noted the contrast: a full-strength India against a Pakistan side rebuilt around youth — and for two-thirds of the match, the script held, until Nawaz tore it up.
With bilateral cricket between the nations long suspended and the teams meeting only at neutral venues, every India-Pakistan final carries a political charge. In Nisshin, the cricket briefly matched it.
Key takeaways
- India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games men's cricket final in Nisshin to retain the gold medal.
- Abhishek Sharma (61 off 28) and Tilak Varma (51* off 22) powered India to 211/6; Arafat Minhas took 3-25 for Pakistan.
- Hasan Nawaz's 96 off 51 nearly stole it for Pakistan, who finished on 192/6; Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took two wickets each.
- India completed a cricket double at the Games after the women's team also retained gold — and now lead Pakistan 4-3 in major-tournament finals.
- Pakistan, fielding a second-string side, settled for silver — still their best Asian Games men's cricket finish.
FAQ
Where was the final played?
At the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on October 3, 2026. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 63 runs to take the bronze medal.
Who were the standout performers?
Abhishek Sharma's 28-ball 61 gave India early momentum, Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 off 22 finished the innings, and Hasan Nawaz's 96 off 51 was the individual performance of the chase.
Did India win the women's gold too?
Yes — India's women retained their Asian Games gold earlier in the competition, completing a rare double for Indian cricket at a single Games.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo — match report: Abhishek, Tilak and spinners secure gold for India, October 3, 2026
- India Sportshub — India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to retain gold, October 3, 2026
- The Daily Jagran — final highlights, October 3, 2026
