Archive · 3 Oct 2026
India and Pakistan Set for Asian Games Cricket Gold Final
India and Pakistan will play each other for the Asian Games cricket gold medal.
The match is scheduled for October 3 in Nisshin, Japan.
India reached the final by beating Sri Lanka by 124 runs.
Ishan Kishan scored 80 runs without getting out, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 38.
India then dismissed Sri Lanka for 45.
Pakistan advanced after beating Bangladesh in a match shortened by rain.
The final will be the first time these teams meet in men’s cricket at the Asian Games.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play for the bronze medal.
Both previews point to spin bowling as an important part of the final.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in the men’s Asian Games cricket gold-medal final on October 3 in Nisshin, Japan.
India reached the final after beating Sri Lanka by 124 runs, scoring 169/7 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 45.
Ishan Kishan scored an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed 38 runs for India.
Pakistan advanced by defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in a semifinal shortened by rain to 13 overs per side.
The final is the first India-Pakistan men’s cricket match at the Asian Games; Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play for bronze.
- Who
- India and Pakistan’s men’s cricket teams; Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play for bronze.
- What
- India and Pakistan are scheduled to contest the Asian Games men’s cricket gold-medal final.
- When
- October 3; the final is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time, or 10:00 a.m. IST.
- Where
- Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
- Why
- The match will decide the men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games.
India’s Batting Threats
Pakistan’s Bowling Options
Powerplay
India’s Batting Threats
India’s Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are described as boundary-hitting openers who could put early pressure on Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Bowling Options
Pakistan may use Saim Ayub’s mystery spin and tight lines to slow India’s scoring in the powerplay.
Middle overs
India’s Batting Threats
Ishan Kishan’s aggressive play against spin and Shreyas Iyer’s ability to manage the tempo are presented as potential advantages for India.
Pakistan’s Bowling Options
Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem could use wrist-spin and varied angles to seek wickets and disrupt India’s batting.
Final overs
India’s Batting Threats
India may rely on Shivam Dube’s power-hitting to increase its total in the closing overs.
Pakistan’s Bowling Options
Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Akif Javed are identified as Pakistan’s options to use hard lengths and wide yorkers against Dube.
Spin and the pitch
India’s Batting Threats
One preview highlights Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi and Abhishek Sharma as possible contributors if the pitch offers turn.
Pakistan’s Bowling Options
The same preview points to Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim, Saim Ayub and Arafat as key spin options; it describes the pitch as offering turn and uneven bounce.
- Final
- India vs Pakistan, men’s cricket gold-medal match
- Date and start time
- October 3 at 1:30 p.m. local time (10:00 a.m. IST)
- Venue
- Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan
- India’s semifinal
- India made 169/7 and beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs; Sri Lanka were dismissed for 45 in 9.5 overs.
- Pakistan’s semifinal
- Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in a match reduced to 13 overs per side; Bangladesh scored 111/7 and Pakistan reached the target in 11.3 overs.
- India’s leading semifinal scorer
- Ishan Kishan made an unbeaten 80 off 46 deliveries; Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 38.
- Bronze-medal match
- Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka.
- Tournament milestone
- The final will be the first India-Pakistan men’s cricket meeting at the Asian Games.
