Gold at stake: Arch-rivals India-Pakistan blockbuster awaits in Asian Games cricket final

Nisshin [Japan], October 2 (ANI): India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 cricket final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday, with the gold medal at stake.
Led by T20 captain Shreyas Iyer, India stormed into the final with a commanding 124-run victory over Sri Lanka in the semi-final on Thursday. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan was washed out.
After being asked to bat first, India posted 169/7 on a challenging surface. Ishan Kishan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 80, while teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided the impetus with a fluent 38.
India’s bowlers then tore through Sri Lanka’s batting line-up, bundling them out for just 45, the island nation’s lowest-ever T20 total. Jasprit Bumrah set the tone by claiming two wickets in the opening over, while Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma and Washington Sundar also chipped in with wickets.
Pakistan, meanwhile, secured their place in the final with a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the other semi-final. Their quarter-final against Hong Kong, China, was also washed out, sending them through to the last four without taking the field.
India enter the final as the defending Asian Games men's cricket champions, having won the gold medal at the Hangzhou 2023 Games.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will be aiming to claim their first-ever men's Asian Games cricket gold, with their women's team having previously won the top prize in the competition.
At Hangzhou 2023, India were awarded the gold medal after the men’s final against Afghanistan was washed out, with the higher-ranked team taking the top spot.
Aichi-Nagoya 2026, however, has different provisions. If rain or other conditions prevent the gold medal match from being completed, a Super Over will be used to determine the winner. If the Super Over itself cannot be completed, both teams will share the gold medal.
India hold the upper hand in the head-to-head record against Pakistan, having won 14 of their 17 T20 encounters, with three defeats. India also enter the final on a six-match winning streak against their arch-rivals, who last defeated them in a T20 clash in 2022. (ANI)