India Beat Pakistan by 19 Runs to Win Asian Games 2026 Cricket Gold: Result, Top Performers and How They Got There

India are Asian Games men's cricket champions again. On Saturday 3 October 2026 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, India made 211 for 6 and held Pakistan to 192 for 6, winning the gold medal match by 19 runs. Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 61 and Tilak Varma made 51; Hasan Nawaz's 96 kept Pakistan in the chase until the final overs before India's spinners closed it out. It was India's seventh T20 win in a row over Pakistan, and with the women having won their final on 22 September, India leave Aichi-Nagoya with both cricket golds.

The result in brief

• India 211 for 6 in 20 overs; Pakistan 192 for 6 in 20 overs. India won by 19 runs.
• Abhishek Sharma 61 and Tilak Varma 51 for India. Hasan Nawaz 96 for Pakistan.
• India's men retain the title they won at Hangzhou in 2023.

The rest of this page, written before the match, explains the build-up, the broadcast details and how both teams reached the final.

An India vs Pakistan cricket match moves search traffic like almost nothing else in India, and this one carried a gold medal. "IND vs PAK time", "Asian Games final live" and "where to watch Asian Games cricket" climbed from the moment the semi-finals finished.

Match time and venue

The gold medal match starts at 10:00 AM IST on Saturday 3 October. Japan is three and a half hours ahead of India, so that is a 1:30 PM local start at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi prefecture, the ground that has hosted the whole cricket programme at these Games. Pakistani viewers can tune in from 9:30 AM PKT.

A morning start is unusual for a big India match, so set a reminder. Toss is normally half an hour before the first ball.

Where to watch in India

• Television: Sony Sports Network holds the Asian Games rights in India, so the final will be on Sony Sports channels.
• Streaming: Sony LIV is streaming the Games, including the cricket.
• Pakistan: PTV is showing the match.
• Bangladesh: Sony Sports 1 HD via Akash Digital TV, with streaming on Akash Go.

If you plan to stream, check your Sony LIV subscription the night before. Big India vs Pakistan games are exactly when sign-up queues and payment delays appear.

How India reached the final

India's men were seeded straight into the knockout stage, as the top-ranked sides were at this tournament. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain, and India went through as the higher seed under the tournament rules. That left some fans nervous about going into a semi-final without match time.

The semi-final on Monday 28 September settled those nerves quickly. India posted 169 for 7 in their 20 overs, with Ishan Kishan unbeaten on 80, and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 45 in 9.5 overs. A 124-run win in a T20 semi-final is about as emphatic as it gets. Pakistan came through the other semi-final to set up the final everyone had been hoping for.

The women's team already has gold

India's women finished their job on 22 September. Batting first against Sri Lanka in the final, they made 216 for 3, with Smriti Mandhana scoring 79 off 45 balls, Shafali Verma 48 off 29 and Richa Ghosh an unbeaten 49 off 22. Sri Lanka were never close and India won by 147 runs. A men's win on Saturday would complete a cricket double at the Games.

What it means for India's medal tally

Going into the final weekend, India had 72 medals at Aichi-Nagoya: 12 gold, 25 silver and 35 bronze. That already includes the women's cricket gold, and the men are guaranteed at least silver by reaching the final. The hockey team has also booked a place in its final, so Saturday could add two golds in team sports.

A quick note on the format

Asian Games cricket is played as T20, the same format as the men's T20 World Cup and the IPL. Unlike bilateral series, there is no reserve day guaranteed for every knockout. If rain interrupts a final, tournament rules decide how the medal is awarded, and in some past events a washed-out final has meant shared gold. Check the official rules on the day if the weather looks uncertain in Aichi.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the India vs Pakistan Asian Games final?

India, by 19 runs. India made 211 for 6 and Pakistan finished on 192 for 6 on Saturday 3 October 2026.

Who were the top scorers in the final?

Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma (51) for India, and Hasan Nawaz (96) for Pakistan.

Which channel is showing the Asian Games cricket final in India?

Sony Sports Network on television, and Sony LIV for streaming.

Is this an official international match?

It is an Asian Games medal match, played in the T20 format under the Olympic Council of Asia and the Asian Cricket Council. Whether a particular game counts as a full T20 international depends on the status of the two teams at the time of the match.

Has India won Asian Games cricket gold before?

India won both the men's and women's gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, and have now retained both titles in 2026.

Where can I follow the live score?

Olympics.com and ESPNcricinfo carry ball-by-ball coverage, and the Sony LIV app shows the live score alongside the stream.