India defeat Pakistan to clinch Asian Games gold
The Shreyas Iyer-led side put on a comprehensive display to make it a second successive gold medal at the Asian Games men’s competition.
A well-rounded victory against arch-rivals Pakistan saw India claim a gold medal in the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026.
Led by a power-packed batting display, the Indian bowlers were able to see through a top podium finish in Nagoya. While Pakistan claimed a silver, Sri Lanka emerged triumphant over Bangladesh to clinch the bronze medal.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first. A decision that was followed by opener Abhishek Sharma (61) setting the tone early on in the game.
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The left-handed batter maintained a brisk scoring rate, laying the foundation for India with three fours and a whopping seven sixes during his stay.
While skipper Shreyas Iyer (21) and Ishan Kishan (20) added meaningful contributions with the bat, Pakistan had shifted the momentum with wickets falling at regular intervals.
However, Tilak Varma ensured that India finished their innings on a high note, scoring an unbeaten 51 off just 22 deliveries as India put on 211/6 off their 20 overs.
Defending a huge total in testing conditions for the batters, India didn't let go of their advantage as bowlers maintained a tight grip.
While Hasan Nawaz went on to score a commendable 96 off 51 balls, wickets falling at the other end meant Pakistan fell short of the total by 19 runs.
Ratnayake’s heroics guide Sri Lanka to bronze
All-rounder Tharindu Ratnayake delivered with both bat and the ball in the third-place play off earlier in the day.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka were put in a tight spot as Bangladesh ran through half of their batting lineup with just 54 runs on the board.
Coming in to bat at seven, Ratnayake then went on to compile 65 off 32 deliveries, a knock laced with seven fours and five maximums.
His contribution with the bat meant Sri Lanka posted a hefty 165/9 in challenging conditions for Bangladesh.
In their response, the Bangladesh batters never got going as Sri Lankan bowlers tightened their grip on the contest from the get-go. Ratnayake was instrumental with the ball as well, finishing with figures of 2/18.
But it was a team effort that closed the game for Sri Lanka, with Nuwan Thushara, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, and Wanuja Sahan also claiming a brace.
Bangladesh were eventually restricted for 102 as Sri Lanka won the game by 63 runs.