India Beat Pakistan to Win Men’s Cricket Gold at Asian Games

India clinched the men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs in the final on Saturday in Nishin, Japan. India had earlier also secured gold in the women’s cricket event.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, India made an aggressive start through opener Abhishek Sharma. Although Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for 15 and Sanju Samson fell for 2, Sharma kept the scoreboard moving. He smashed 61 off just 28 balls, including seven sixes and three fours.

India then went through a relatively quiet middle phase. The team did not hit a boundary for five consecutive overs, with Shreyas Iyer scoring 21 off 24 balls and Ishan Kishan making 20 off 18.

The momentum returned in the final overs as Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube launched an attack. Dube made 27 from 15 balls before being dismissed, while Tilak remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls, hitting four sixes and three fours. India finished with a formidable total of 211.

Pakistan struggled early in the chase, losing three wickets for just 39 runs in 6.1 overs. Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz then put together an 87-run partnership from 48 balls to bring Pakistan back into contention.

Ayub was dismissed for 29 off 22 balls, but Nawaz continued the fight until the final delivery. The 24-year-old right-hander scored an impressive 96 off 51 balls, including five fours and seven sixes.

His effort, however, was not enough to take Pakistan over the line. India eventually secured a 19-run victory, leaving Pakistan with the silver medal—their best cricket result at the Asian Games.

The match also continued the recent tension between the two sides, with the players not exchanging handshakes during the final.