Asian Games cricket 2026: India’s depth, experience deliver gold against Pakistan

India’s Twenty20 team has engineered and experienced many highs, but they will never forget the day they won gold for their contingent at the Asian Games. A crowd of Indian supporters at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, was swept up in the emotion of the national anthem as Pakistan, who lost by 19 runs, had to settle for silver, and Sri Lanka, who took bronze, shared the podium.

A full-strength Indian team had too much firepower for a second-string Pakistan lineup that put up a serious fight, thanks mainly to Hasan Nawaz’s 51-ball 96.

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India, who won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that helped spinners once more, got a strong start from Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Pakistan deployed slow bowlers early in the piece, but they did not have the experience or control needed to take down India’s big guns. Sooryavanshi, who hit two sixes, got carried away, attempting a reverse, and gloved to the keeper. Abhishek, who was visibly disappointed at his partner’s choice of shot, learned from it and changed plans.

Hanging back, Abhishek used the depth of the crease to wait on the ball and hit back down the ground. Pakistan’s spinners, under the pump, dropped the ball short too often, and the small boundaries were no match for Abhishek. With 61 from only 28, Abhishek gave India the impetus they needed. Pakistan’s bowlers slowly clawed their way back, keeping India’s batsmen boundaryless between the 11th and 17th overs, but any hopes of a modest target evaporated with Tilak Varma.

With little time to get his eye in, Tilak played the situation perfectly. He began with a drilled boundary back past the bowler, and then opened up, launching the ball over midwicket and hitting it cleanly through the off side.

Tilak was not alone at the back end of the innings, with Shivam Dube playing his role to perfection. Using his height and long levers, Dube pounced when the slow bowlers erred, making 27 from 15 to complement Tilak’s unbeaten 22-ball 51. India ended on 211 for 6 and with the variety and penetration in their bowling attack, it was going to take someone playing a blinder to pull off the chase.

Nawaz rose to the occasion admirably, but he just did not get enough support. What his innings did, though, was put the pressure on India, and this showed in dropped catches and some ragged fielding. But the pressure of the scoreboard and the accuracy of Axar Patel (2 for 29) meant that the required rate was never comfortable. And yet, when the 18th over began, with 52 needed, Pakistan were in with a sniff. Washington Sundar was clever and accurate, and steadfastly refused to bring the ball back into the right-handed batsmen and conceded only eight, including a last-ball boundary.

Jasprit Bumrah then turned 44 from 12 into an almost impossible 33 from 6, and Shreyas Iyer entrusted Dube to wrap things up. He did so neatly, dismissing Nawaz off the final ball of the innings to leave Pakistan 19 short. At all times in the game, India were ahead of the curve. With the bat, the depth shone through, justifying India’s decision to pack the team with enough all-round cricketers.

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When they bowled, India may have felt like they were one specialist bowler short at times, but the experience and expertise of their main men were enough to carry the day.

The win gave India their 19th gold of the Games, and took their overall T20 record against Pakistan to 15-3. With this match being part of a multi-sport event, one organised under the Olympic charter, there was hope among some quarters that India might depart from their current stance of not shaking the hands of Pakistan’s cricketers.

But, in the absence of fresh direction from the Board of Control for Cricket in India or the government, Shreyas Iyer’s team kept to themselves.