Aichi-Nagoya: Saim Ayub’s animated send-off to teenage Indian opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi quickly came back to haunt Pakistan as India defeated their arch-rivals by 19 runs in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final on Saturday.
India successfully defended the gold medal they won at the 2022 Asian Games, completing a memorable cricket double after the women’s team had earlier secured gold in the tournament.
The men’s final at Korogi Sports Park saw India overcome a sluggish surface to post 211/6 in 20 overs before restricting Pakistan to 192/8. Abhishek Sharma played the starring role with a blistering 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma provided another explosive contribution in the closing stages.
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz fought almost a lone battle with an unbeaten 96 off 51 balls, but his effort was not enough to take his side across the line.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi falls early
India opted to bat first, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma opening the innings.
The teenage Sooryavanshi immediately showed his intent, smashing two huge sixes off Saad Masood in the second over. The youngster appeared ready to launch another aggressive innings, but his stay at the crease was cut short at the start of the following over.
Saim Ayub dismissed Sooryavanshi with the first delivery of the third over. The Indian batter attempted a reverse sweep, but the delivery was too wide outside off stump. The ball brushed his gloves before carrying through to the wicketkeeper.
As Sooryavanshi walked back towards the pavilion, Ayub appeared to make a gesture mimicking someone cradling a baby while looking in the teenager’s direction.
The gesture immediately added an extra layer of drama to an already intense India-Pakistan contest.
Ayub’s celebration quickly backfires
Ayub’s celebration, however, did not remain a memorable moment for long.
Abhishek Sharma responded in emphatic fashion, taking the Pakistan bowler apart in the final three balls of the over. He struck a four followed by two sixes, instantly shifting the momentum back towards India.
It proved to be an early indication of what was to come.
Abhishek continued attacking the Pakistan bowling attack and eventually produced one of the standout batting performances of the tournament. He reached his half-century in only 20 deliveries, setting a new record for the fastest fifty by an Indian batter against Pakistan in T20 cricket.
The innings also bettered Abhishek’s previous record of a 24-ball fifty against Pakistan in Dubai in 2025.
Abhishek Sharma produces record-breaking fifty
Abhishek’s aggressive approach was crucial because the pitch was not particularly easy for stroke-making.
He eventually finished with 61 off 28 balls, hitting three fours and seven sixes. His innings provided India with the momentum needed to recover from the early dismissal of Sooryavanshi and build a sizeable total.
Rather than allowing the Pakistan bowlers to dictate terms on the slow surface, Abhishek repeatedly attacked the shorter boundaries and punished loose deliveries.
His 20-ball fifty also became one of the defining moments of the final, with India quickly turning the pressure back on Pakistan after losing their young opener.
Once Abhishek departed, India still needed a strong finish to reach a competitive total.
Tilak Varma launches late assault
Tilak Varma took responsibility for the final phase of the innings and produced another attacking half-century.
Tilak reached his fifty in just 21 balls, maintaining the momentum generated by Abhishek. He combined with Shivam Dube to add 62 runs for the sixth wicket, giving India the late acceleration they needed.
The partnership proved particularly valuable on a surface where batting became increasingly difficult as the innings progressed.
India eventually finished on 211/6 after 20 overs, setting Pakistan a demanding target in the gold-medal match.
The total meant Pakistan needed a strong start in the chase while also ensuring that India’s spinners did not gain control of the middle overs.
Hasan Nawaz keeps Pakistan in the contest
Pakistan’s chase initially remained competitive, but India’s bowling attack gradually began to create pressure.
Hasan Nawaz emerged as Pakistan’s principal hope. He produced a spectacular innings, remaining unbeaten on 96 from 51 deliveries.
Nawaz attacked India’s bowlers throughout the chase and kept Pakistan within striking distance even as wickets fell around him.
His innings included a series of powerful strokes and ensured that the contest remained alive deep into the second innings.
However, Pakistan needed more support at the other end. India’s bowlers repeatedly broke partnerships and prevented Nawaz from finding the sustained assistance required to chase down 212.
Washington Sundar and Axar Patel make the difference
India’s spin duo of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel played an important role in controlling the Pakistan innings.
Both spinners claimed two wickets each, using the nature of the pitch to restrict Pakistan’s scoring opportunities and create pressure in the middle overs.
As Pakistan attempted to accelerate towards the target, India continued to find breakthroughs.
Shivam Dube then contributed with the ball in the latter stages of the chase, picking up two wickets and helping India close out the match.
Despite Nawaz remaining unbeaten on 96, Pakistan ultimately finished 19 runs short of India’s total.
India complete Asian Games cricket double
The victory gave India the men’s cricket gold medal and completed a clean sweep for the Indian teams in the Asian Games cricket competition.
The women’s team had already won gold earlier in the tournament, meaning India finished with gold medals in both the men’s and women’s T20 events.
For the men’s team, the victory also meant successfully defending the Asian Games title won at Hangzhou in 2022.
The final victory was particularly significant because of the opposition. An India-Pakistan final brought additional attention to the tournament, and India ultimately prevailed after producing strong performances with both bat and ball.
A memorable final for Abhishek and India
The match will be remembered for several moments, from Sooryavanshi’s brief burst at the top to Ayub’s controversial celebration and Abhishek’s immediate response.
Abhishek’s 20-ball half-century changed the momentum of the innings and laid the platform for India’s imposing total. Tilak’s equally aggressive 21-ball fifty then ensured that India finished strongly.
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz provided a remarkable counterattack with his unbeaten 96, but India’s bowlers managed to keep the rest of the batting line-up under control.
In the end, India defended 211/6 and won by 19 runs, retaining their Asian Games men’s cricket gold.
The result gave India another gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya and completed the country’s cricket double, while also adding another chapter to the rivalry between the two teams.