India successfully defended their men's cricket title at the Asian Games 2026, beating Pakistan by 19 runs in the gold-medal match at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.

Captain Shreyas Iyer chose to bat first and India posted 211/6, the highest total of the men's tournament. Abhishek Sharma powered the innings with 61 off 28 balls before Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 from 22 deliveries supplied the late acceleration. Pakistan responded with 192/6 despite Hasan Nawaz producing a fighting 96.

The result turned the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket final into another gold-medal moment for Indian cricket. It also meant both Indian cricket teams left Aichi-Nagoya with gold after the women's team had already won the women's competition.

India vs Pakistan at Asian Games 2026: Final Score and Result

The final had been billed as one of the biggest contests of the closing stages of the Games, and India's batting ensured Pakistan faced a demanding chase from the outset.

India's 211/6 was the highest total of the men's cricket competition. Pakistan threatened to make the chase considerably closer through Hasan Nawaz, but India's bowlers kept the required rate under control during the decisive closing overs.

For followers tracking IND vs PAK, the result also completed a successful men's title defence for India. At Hangzhou 2023, India had taken gold after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain, with the higher-ranked team awarded first place. This time, the champions secured the title on the field.

Asian Games 2026 Today Highlights: India Reaches 81 Medals

India's cricket gold was only one of several major results on the final day of the Asian Games 2026. As of the latest confirmed results on October 3, India has reached 81 medals — 19 gold, 26 silver and 36 bronze — and sits fifth in the medal standings. That figure includes only medals already awarded, not medals merely assured by reaching a final.

India's major October 3 results so far

Kumkum Mohod produced one of the day's biggest results by winning the women's individual recurve title. She defeated South Korea's Oh Yejin in a shoot-off and became the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Asian Games. Her performance also secured an Olympic quota for Los Angeles 2028.

Golf then delivered another major boost. Pranavi Urs won the women's individual gold, while Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar combined for silver in the women's team event.

Neeraj Chauhan added bronze in the men's individual recurve competition after beating fellow Indian Dhiraj Bommadevara 6-4 in the bronze-medal match.

The men's cricket team's victory over Pakistan then delivered India's 19th gold medal of the Games and pushed the confirmed overall tally to 81.

India could still add more medals before the Games conclude. Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat has reached the men's freestyle 57kg wrestling final, while Antim Panghal has advanced to the women's 53kg gold-medal bout. Those medals should not be assigned a colour until their finals are completed.

Deepak Punia and Sagar Jaglan also remain in medal contention through bronze-medal bouts, while the Indian men's hockey team is scheduled to face Malaysia in the gold-medal match later on October 3. That means 81 is a live total, not necessarily India's final Asian Games medal count.

Abhishek Sharma Turns the Powerplay India's Way

India's innings against Pakistan did not begin without pressure. Pakistan opened with spin, but Abhishek immediately attacked. The left-hander refused to allow Pakistan to dictate the tempo and quickly changed the complexion of the final. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson departed, but Abhishek continued to score aggressively.

He reached his half-century in only 20 deliveries and eventually made 61 from 28 balls, including seven sixes. His innings gave Indian cricket the platform it needed to put Pakistan under scoreboard pressure. Even when Pakistan found wickets through the middle overs, India had already positioned themselves for a total around or above 200.

Pakistan vs India Chase: Hasan Nawaz Keeps Final Alive

Pakistan needed 212 for gold but struggled to keep pace during the opening half of its innings. India's bowlers controlled the early overs, while Axar Patel struck to increase the pressure.

Hasan Nawaz then transformed the chase. His aggressive innings brought Pakistan back into the contest and prevented the final from becoming one-sided. He eventually made 96, narrowly missing a century but keeping his side mathematically alive until the closing stages. For those following the pakistan vs india contest live, Hasan's counterattack became the central storyline of Pakistan's innings. India, however, had enough runs to absorb the assault.

Bumrah's 19th Over All but Secures Gold

The decisive period arrived with two overs remaining. Pakistan required 44 runs from the final 12 balls. With Hasan still batting, India needed a controlled penultimate over to prevent a late twist. Jasprit Bumrah delivered it. Pakistan was left needing 33 from the final over, effectively putting the target beyond reach. Hasan continued attacking but was dismissed on the final delivery as Pakistan finished on 192/6.

The PAK vs IND final therefore remained competitive considerably longer than India's total of 211 initially suggested, but India ultimately completed a 19-run victory.

Pakistan took silver, while Sri Lanka secured bronze after defeating Bangladesh earlier in the day.

India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline Adds Another Final

The india national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline contains some of international cricket's most closely followed tournament meetings. One of the most famous came in the inaugural men's T20 World Cup final in Johannesburg in 2007, when India defeated Pakistan by five runs. The teams also met at the 2026 men's T20 World Cup earlier this year, where India won by 61 runs.

The Asian Games has now added another major final to the india national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline. This time, the pak vs ind contest carried a multi-sport Games gold medal rather than an ICC trophy, but the pressure surrounding the rivalry remained considerable. India's 19-run victory makes October 3, 2026 another significant date in the history of the rivalry.

Indian Cricket Completes Asian Games Gold Double

The men's victory completed a sweep of the cricket titles available in Japan. India's women had already won their tournament, meaning the country captured both the men's and women's Asian Games cricket gold medals for the second successive edition. That gives Indian cricket another notable achievement following the double gold at Hangzhou 2023. There was also an important difference between the two men's titles.

The 2023 final was abandoned because of rain, and India received gold on the basis of its superior ranking. At the Asian Games 2026, the title was settled through a completed match.

For fans following IND vs PAK, India had to withstand a genuine second-innings challenge after Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma had provided the batting foundation.

The pakistan vs india contest ultimately came down to India's superior total and its ability to control the decisive closing overs.

The PAK vs IND final also became part of a much bigger day for the Indian contingent. Gold medals from Kumkum Mohod, Pranavi Urs and the men's cricket team helped India reach 19 gold medals and 81 confirmed medals overall, with wrestling and men's hockey still offering further opportunities before the Games conclude. For the India vs Pakistan cricket final, however, the final result is settled: India 211/6, Pakistan 192/6 — India won by 19 runs and retained the Asian Games men's cricket gold medal.