India vs Pakistan Asian Games 2026 Gold Clash: India Opt to Bat
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
India won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the men's cricket final of the 2026 Asian Games at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday. The winner will take home the gold medal.
India Retain Unchanged XI
India have retained the same playing XI that featured in their semi-final victory over Sri Lanka. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings, with Sanju Samson keeping wickets and Shreyas Iyer leading the side.
Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube add batting depth, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar provide all-round options. Ravi Bishnoi and Jasprit Bumrah complete the bowling attack.
Pakistan Name Four Spinners
Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan leads a side featuring Maaz Sadaqat, wicketkeeper Usman Khan, Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad. Arafat Minhas, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim complete the XI.
Pakistan's combination includes four spin options, with the Nisshin pitch expected to offer some turn and bounce. Farhan will also be a key figure at the top of the order after producing strong performances against India in previous T20 meetings.
India Eye Back-To-Back Asian Games Gold
India reached the final after a dominant 124-run win over Sri Lanka in the semi-final. Ishan Kishan scored an unbeaten 80 from 46 balls before India bowled Sri Lanka out for 45. Pakistan secured their final berth after defeating Bangladesh in a rain-shortened semi-final.
India are defending the men's Asian Games cricket title after winning gold at Hangzhou in 2023. This is the first men's cricket final between India and Pakistan at the Asian Games, adding another high-profile chapter to their rivalry.
