Team India snagged a 19-run win over their arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 gold medal game at the Karogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on Saturday, October 3.
Shifting our focus to the details, Team India batted first and posted a total of 211/6 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma was the top scorer with 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma also shone with 51* off 22 balls.
In the second innings, Pakistan scored 192/6 in 20 overs, losing by 19 runs. Hasan Nawaz was the wrecker-in-chief with 96 runs off 51 balls. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube picked two wickets each.
Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer was elated with the victory and termed Saim Ayub’s wicket as the game-changing moment in Pakistan’s 212-run chase.
“If I have to use a word, I would say ecstatic as well because since the day we arrived in Japan, it was raining cats and dogs and we couldn’t practice for almost a week. But the boys, the way they prepped themselves and also were doing their training on the side, we didn’t complain, we didn’t give any reasons. So that was a sign of a champion itself, champion team. And today was just a reflection of that,” Shreyas Iyer said after the game.
“Well, they were cruising pretty well and they got that momentum in between. I just wanted to see that I get that fifth (bowlers) over as soon as possible, finish it off, and then Bumrah was there, Washi was there, the lead bowlers, they wanted to come in as well. So I basically paced their overs pretty well. That’s what I felt. And especially when the run rate is about 13 to 14, we know that the batsmen, they are going to take charge, and one wicket is going to change the momentum, shift the momentum towards us. So that’s what happened, and that crucial wicket of.. I don’t remember the name of the batsman (Ayub), but that changed the momentum,” he added.
