NEW DELHI: India will face Pakistan in the men’s cricket gold medal match at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday, October 3. The much-awaited clash will be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. The match will start at 1:30 PM local time.India booked their place in the final with a dominant 124-run win over Sri Lanka in the semi-final on Thursday. Pakistan, meanwhile, defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in their semi-final to set up a blockbuster final against India.
India beat Sri Lanka in semi-final
India, led by Shreyas Iyer, were sent in to bat after Sri Lanka won the toss. They posted 169 for seven on a difficult pitch.Ishan Kishan played a key innings for India, scoring an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls. He hit four boundaries and five sixes.Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also made an impact on his return to the Indian XI. He scored 39 runs and helped India recover after the early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.India then produced a superb bowling performance to bowl Sri Lanka out for just 45.Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in the opening over and put Sri Lanka under pressure immediately. Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma and Washington Sundar also picked up wickets, while three Sri Lankan batters were run out.
India vs Pakistan Asian Games 2026 final: All you need to know
- Match: India vs Pakistan, Men’s Cricket Gold Medal Match
- Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
- Time: 1:30 PM local time (10:00 AM IST)
- Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
- Where to watch: Sony Sports Network
India eye another Asian Games gold
India are the defending champions in men’s cricket. They won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.Pakistan, meanwhile, will be looking for their first-ever Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket. Their women’s team have previously won gold at the Games.The India-Pakistan final will also come after a difficult start to the men’s cricket event, with six consecutive matches abandoned because of bad weather.
How Pakistan reached final
Pakistan entered the final after beating Bangladesh by six wickets in the other semi-final.The match was reduced to 13 overs per side because of a delay caused by wet weather. Bangladesh scored 111 for seven before Pakistan chased down the target in 11.3 overs.
