India vs Pakistan final confirmed in Asian Games 2026 men's cricket event

The Asian Games men’s cricket event is set to end on a blockbuster note as arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be seen locking horns in the gold medal match of the event. Both teams sealed their spots in the final after winning their respective semi-final fixtures on Thursday, October 1, at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.

Playing their first match of the tournament, after their quarter-final fixture against Afghanistan was washed out, India hammered Sri Lanka by 124 runs to advance to the final.

After being put in to bat first, India posted a good score of 169/7 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of a splendid innings from Ishan Kishan (80 off 46). Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (38 off 21) also made a valuable contribution to the total.

In reply, Sri Lanka were blown away by the Indian bowlers, getting bundled out for just 45 in 9.5 overs, the joint-lowest score by a full-member team in T20I history.

Jasprit Bumrah (2/7, 2 overs), Axar Patel (2/8, 3 overs) and Abhishek Sharma (2/2, 0.5 overs) were amongst the wickets for the Men in Blue.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets

Earlier in the day, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in the first semi-final to seal their berth in the summit clash. After being asked to bat first in a rain-curtailed 13-over match, Bangladesh posted a good score of 111/7 in 13 overs with Towhid Hridoy (42 off 25) being the only batter crossing the 20-run mark.

In reply, Pakistan comfortably chased down the target in 11.3 overs with solid knocks from Abdul Samad (30* off 15) and Hasan Nawaz (27* off 22). India and Pakistan will now meet in the final of the competition on Saturday, October 3, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will face off in the bronze medal match on the same day.