India beat Pakistan by 19 runs on Saturday, Oct. 3, to retain the Asian Games men’s cricket gold. The final brought the teams’ intense national rivalry back into focus, along with their continued refusal to shake hands. India made 211-6 in 20 overs at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, then held Pakistan to 192-6.
A Gold Medal Decided on the Field
Abhishek Sharma struck 61 from 28 balls, while Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51 from 21, helping India post its highest-ever T20 total against Pakistan. Hasan Nawaz kept the chase alive with 96 from 51 balls, but Dube dismissed him with the final delivery. Nawaz hit seven sixes and five fours.
India won the toss and elected to bat on a used wicket. The same pitch had hosted the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh bronze-medal match. Saad Masood, making his Pakistan debut, gave up 24 runs in his first over, including three sixes, a no-ball and a four from Sooryavanshi off the free hit.
At 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest Indian to win an Asian Games gold medal, according to the live coverage. He made 15 from nine balls before Saim Ayub had wicketkeeper Usman Khan catch him. Ayub followed the dismissal with a rocking-baby gesture.
Abhishek reached his half-century in 20 balls, with seven sixes and three fours, before Usman Khan stumped him off Arafat Minhas. Shreyas Iyer made 21, Ishan Kishan scored 20 and Shivam Dube added 27. Tilak struck 15 runs from Ahmed Daniyal’s final four balls.
National Rivalry Beyond the Score
India completed the men’s and women’s cricket gold double, its second such double at these Games after kabaddi. The men retained the title they won at Hangzhou in 2023. Five players from that 2023 squad—Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi and Tilak Varma—joined India’s 2026 team.
The win marked India’s seventh straight T20 victory over Pakistan. It also extended the rivals’ run to five consecutive men’s games without a handshake, before or after play. Iyer declined to shake hands with Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan at the toss. Neither team shook hands after the final.
The AP report described cross-border tensions that brought the countries close to war last year. It also said Indian cricketers had avoided handshakes with Pakistan players and refused trophies and medals from Pakistani officials at other tournaments. At the Games, though, players from both countries embraced and shook hands after India beat Pakistan in a hockey semifinal.
The Result and Its Wider Setting
ICC chairman Jay Shah attended the final. Mohsin Naqvi wasn't expected at the presentation ceremony, and live coverage said it remained unclear whether Iyer and the team would take part in the formalities.
The report also pointed to recent cricket meetings between the rivals. In the 2026 Asia Cup, India beat Pakistan three times, including in the final; Suryakumar Yadav’s team didn't shake hands in any of the three games and refused the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi. India’s women also avoided handshakes with Pakistan at a continental championship match and declined the women’s Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi in the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan opened its chase with Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat facing Jasprit Bumrah. Farhan scored 10 before Washington Sundar had Patel take the catch; Usman Khan made three before Dube dismissed him off Patel. Sadaqat scored 23, Ayub made 29 and Abdul Samad scored nine. Patel, Sundar and Dube each took two wickets as India closed out the final.