The Indian men’s cricket team produced a record-filled batting display before holding off Pakistan by 19 runs to win the men’s cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya.
The victory gave India back-to-back gold medals in the men’s event.
India’s victory also saw them breaking several records on the way at Nisshin.
India posted 211/6, which is their highest-ever T20I total against Pakistan, going past their previous best of 192. It was also only the second time a full-member team had crossed 200 in a five-or-more-team T20I tournament final.
Abhishek Sharma was at the centre of India’s record-breaking effort. He smashed 61 off 28 balls, with three fours and seven sixes. His half-century came from just 20 balls, making it the fastest fifty by an Indian against Pakistan in men’s T20Is.
His seven sixes also saw him equal Yuvraj Singh’s record for the most sixes by an Indian in a single T20I innings against Pakistan. Abhishek had already matched Yuvraj’s record once before, during the 2025 Asia Cup.
The opener also continued his remarkable six-hitting run in 2026. His tally for the year reached 104 sixes in T20 cricket. He also became the second-fastest batter to reach 100 T20 sixes in a calendar year, doing so in 651 balls.
Tilak Varma then finished the innings strongly. He remained unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls, reaching his fifty in 21 deliveries.
That made it the second-fastest fifty by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is. His four sixes also put him alongside Virat Kohli, Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan among India’s leading six-hitters in T20I finals.
Tilak and Shivam Dube added 62 runs for the sixth wicket. That was the second-highest partnership for the sixth wicket or lower in a five-or-more-team T20I tournament final.
India also had Ishan Kishan crossing 1,000 men’s T20I runs in 2026, becoming the second Indian to reach the mark in a calendar year.
How India defeated Pakistan?
India chose to bat first and made a quick start. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit two sixes in the second over before falling for 15. Abhishek then took control, racing to his fifty in 20 balls and scoring 61. After India lost wickets in the middle overs, Tilak and Dube added 62 runs to take the score to 211/6.
Pakistan began their chase positively but were restricted to 39/2 in the powerplay. Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub then added 87 runs, bringing Pakistan back into the contest. Dube broke the stand by dismissing Ayub for 29.
Hasan kept Pakistan’s hopes alive with 96 off 51 balls, but India tightened things up in the final overs. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel took two wickets each, while Jasprit Bumrah bowled a crucial penultimate over. Pakistan needed 33 from the last over and could manage only 14.
Hasan was dismissed off the final ball as Pakistan finished on 192/6. India won by 19 runs and retained the Asian Games men’s cricket gold.