India produced another memorable performance at the Asian Games, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final to win the gold medal. The victory completed a sweet double for India, with both the men’s and women’s cricket teams finishing on top of the podium.
After the women’s team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs earlier in the competition, the men’s team followed it up with a thrilling win over Pakistan. India now has its 81st medal of the Asian Games, including 19 gold medals, along with 26 silver and 36 bronze.
India Put Up 211 Runs
Batting first, India made an aggressive start. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma attacked the Pakistan bowlers early, putting 24 runs on the board in the second over.
Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 15 off nine balls, but Abhishek continued his attack. He completed his half-century in just 20 balls and gave India the perfect start.
Abhishek eventually fell for a brilliant 61 off 28 balls, smashing seven sixes and three fours. His explosive innings helped India reach 81/2 during the powerplay, their highest powerplay score against Pakistan in a T20I.
India then lost Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer, but Tilak Varma kept the momentum going.
Tilak Varma Finishes in Style
Tilak Varma turned the final overs into a batting showcase. He attacked the Pakistan bowlers with a series of boundaries and sixes and brought up his half-century in just 21 balls.
Tilak remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes. Shivam Dube also made a useful 27 off 15 deliveries before being dismissed in the final over.
India eventually finished with a strong 211/6 in 20 overs, setting Pakistan a challenging target of 212.
For Pakistan, Ahmed Daniyal and Arafat Minhas picked up two wickets each.
Pakistan Fight Back Through Hasan Nawaz
Pakistan’s chase did not begin smoothly. Jasprit Bumrah conceded 11 runs in the opening over, including two no-balls, but India quickly found their rhythm.
Washington Sundar dismissed Sahibzada Farhan for 10, while Axar Patel then took control of the middle overs. Axar removed Usman Khan for three before dismissing Maaz Sadaqat for 23.
Pakistan were suddenly struggling at 39/3 after 6.1 overs.
However, Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub changed the momentum. The pair attacked India’s spinners and added 87 runs, bringing Pakistan back into the contest.
Saim Ayub eventually fell for 29 off 22 balls, giving India a much-needed breakthrough.
Hasan Nawaz Takes the Game Deep
Hasan Nawaz continued to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive. He played an outstanding attacking innings, smashing 96 runs from just 51 balls with five fours and seven sixes.
At one stage, Pakistan needed only 52 runs from 18 balls, and the pressure was firmly on India.
Washington Sundar then dismissed Abdul Samad for nine, while Shivam Dube also chipped in with important wickets.
Pakistan needed 33 runs from the final over, but India’s bowlers held their nerve. Pakistan finished at 192/6, falling 19 runs short of India’s total.
Axar, Washington and Dube Deliver
Axar Patel played a crucial role with the ball, picking up key wickets during Pakistan’s chase. Washington Sundar also delivered an important spell, finishing with 2/29, while Shivam Dube took two wickets for 33 runs.
Hasan Nawaz’s brilliant 96 ultimately went in vain as India held their nerve in the final overs.
With the 19-run victory, India secured the men’s cricket gold medal and completed a remarkable cricket double at the Asian Games.
The women’s team had already brought home gold, and the men’s team ensured that both Indian cricket teams finished their campaigns at the top.
