NISHI-KUROGI, Japan: India reached 133 for four after 14 overs against Pakistan in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
The final is being played as a 20-over T20 match at the Nishi-Kurogi Sports Park.
India made a strong start through Abhishek Sharma, who struck 61 off 28 balls in an aggressive innings featuring several boundaries and sixes.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for 15, while Sanju Samson made two and Ishan Kishan scored 20 before being sent back to the pavilion.
For Pakistan, Arfat Minhas claimed two wickets, while Saim Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal took one each.
Pakistan are being led by Sahibzada Farhan, with Abdul Samad serving as vice-captain. Their squad also includes Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Aqif Javed, Ali Raza, Arfat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Muaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Wasim, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan.
India are captained by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. Their squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Washington Sundar and Yash Thakur.
Bangladesh’s Ghazi Sohel and Sri Lanka’s Prageeth Rambukwella are the on-field umpires, while Malaysia’s Viswanadan Kalidas has been appointed television umpire. Japan’s Chris Thurgate is the reserve umpire and Sri Lanka’s Graeme Labrooy is the match referee.
Rain Rules
Rain could play a role in deciding the Asian Games men’s cricket final, with tournament officials introducing rules that differ from those used at the 2023 Asian Games.
Under the 2026 regulations, if the final is abandoned without a result, Pakistan and India will share the gold medal rather than the higher-ranked team being declared the winner.
If rain interrupts the match after play has begun, at least five overs must be completed in the second innings for a result to be determined under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
No reserve day has been scheduled for the final, meaning the match must be decided on the scheduled day or the teams will share the gold medal under the tournament rules.
ACC President to Miss Final
Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi will not attend the Asian Games cricket final due to previously scheduled commitments.
According to an ACC press release, Naqvi will be absent on the final day of the cricket competition because of prior engagements and commitments.
