Tokyo, Oct. 3: India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition to win their second consecutive gold medal. The Men in Blue were the defending champions, having clinched the gold in 2023, and Shreyas Iyer's team successfully defended the title in Japan.

The win was built on an explosive batting performance and disciplined bowling, as India overcame Pakistan’s late surge to secure the gold medal.Batting first, India made an outstanding start in the Powerplay, reaching 81 for 2.

Abhishek Sharma was the chief architect of the early assault, smashing a spectacular 61 from just 28 balls.His innings included seven sixes and three fours, as he attacked Pakistan’s spin-heavy bowling with remarkable confidence. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also contributed a brisk 15 from nine balls.India briefly lost momentum in the middle overs, with Ishan Kishan scoring 20 and captain Shreyas Iyer making 21. Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas was particularly effective, taking 2 for 25, while Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub also claimed wickets.

However, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube transformed the innings at the death.The pair added 62 runs in only five overs, with Tilak finishing unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls and Dube contributing 27 from 15.-Agencies