India have booked their place in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026, setting up a high-profile clash against Pakistan for the gold medal. The final is scheduled to take place on October 3 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India entered the semi-final stage as the defending Asian Games champions. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain, with India advancing as the higher-seeded team.
In the semi-final against Sri Lanka, India produced a commanding performance, defeating the island nation by 124 runs. A strong batting display, followed by an effective bowling effort, helped India secure their place in the gold-medal match.
Pakistan, meanwhile, became the first team to reach the final after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-reduced semi-final. Abdul Samad played a key role with an unbeaten 30 off 15 balls as Pakistan chased down the target with nine balls remaining.
The final will now bring together India and Pakistan, two of Asia’s leading cricketing nations, with the Asian Games gold medal at stake. Pakistan’s men’s team are appearing in their first-ever Asian Games cricket final, while India will look to retain the title they won at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
The India-Pakistan gold-medal match is expected to draw significant attention as both teams compete for continental honours in the T20 format.