In the men's final match of the Asian Games 2026, India and Pakistan will face each other. India advanced to the final by defeating Sri Lanka with a score of 124 runs, while Pakistan secured its spot in the final by overcoming Bangladesh by six wickets.
The main question being discussed is whether the competing teams will change their player lineups for this decisive match. However, the probability of changes to the squad for the gold medal game is considered extremely low, and it is expected that the teams will take the field with the same lineups they used in the semi-finals.
This match is scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd, and will be held at the Korogi Stadium in Nishin. The major cricket battle between the two nations will begin at 10:00 AM local time, with the toss taking place half an hour earlier, at 9:30 AM.
India aims to defend its championship title, while Pakistan hopes to win its first gold medal in men's cricket at the Asian Games.
In the semi-final, India achieved a convincing victory over Sri Lanka. The match, which started with the Indian team batting, concluded with a score of 169/7 in 20 overs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi set the pace for the team, playing a quick innings with 38 runs in 21 overs, and Ishan Kishan, batting at number five, played without getting out, scoring 80 runs. In his innings, he registered 4 fours and 5 sixes.
In response, the Sri Lankan team was defeated by Indian bowlers for only 45 runs. Jasprit Bumrah created early threat, taking two wickets in the very first over. Another wicket was taken by Ravi Bishnoi through direct bowling, and Axar Patel worsened the situation for Sri Lanka by taking two wickets. The remaining batsmen were neutralized by Washington Sundar and Abhishek Sharma.
Since both teams won their semi-finals, it is unlikely that they will change the squads used in the semi-finals. It is expected that the players who participated in the semi-finals will feature in the final.
The projected lineup for the Indian team at the Asian Games includes: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (as wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, and Jasprit Bumrah.
The projected lineup for the Pakistani team at the Asian Games includes: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Sam Ayub, Usman Khan (as wicketkeeper), Maj Sadakat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhaj, Ahmed Daniyal, Mohammed Wasim Junior, Abrar Ahmed, and Sufian Mukim.
In the last five encounters between these teams, the advantage has clearly been on the side of India. India's last victory over Pakistan was achieved on February 15, 2026, by a margin of 61 runs. Prior to that, India beat Pakistan on September 28, 2025, by 5 wickets, on September 21 by 6 wickets, on September 14 by 7 wickets, and on June 9, 2024, by 6 runs.
India was originally scheduled to play Afghanistan in the quarter-finals on September 28, but the match was cancelled due to rain, and no balls were bowled. Due to a higher ranking, India advanced to the semi-finals and defeated Sri Lanka. Pakistan's quarter-final against Hong Kong was also cancelled due to precipitation, and Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals based on its ranking, where it subsequently defeated Bangladesh, securing its place in the final.
In the second semi-final, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh. Due to rain, the match lasted 13 overs. Bangladesh scored 111/7 in 13 overs. Sufian Mukim took three wickets. Pursuing its goal, Pakistan was in a difficult situation with a score of 53/4, but Abdul Samad played without getting out, scoring 30 runs in 15 overs, and Hasan Nawaz added 27 runs without getting out, forming a crucial partnership of 59 runs. Pakistan reached its target in the 11.3th over.
The gold medal match between India and Pakistan will take place on October 3rd at the Korogi Stadium in Nishin. The match will start at 10:00 AM Indian time. The broadcast will be available on Sony LIV, and the live stream on Sony Sports 1.
Recently, bad weather has been observed in Japan, leading to the cancellation of many matches due to rain. Nevertheless, good weather is expected on the day of the final. The probability of rain on Saturday is extremely low, and the temperature is forecast to be between 16 and 27 degrees Celsius.
If the final between India and Pakistan is cancelled due to rain, the ranking rule, as applied in previous Asian Games, will not be used. The last time the final against Afghanistan was cancelled due to rain, India received gold based on the best ranking. In case of cancellation of the final in Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the gold medal will be shared between both teams.
Cricket has been part of the Asian Games since 2010, with the exception of 2018. India became the men's cricket world champion in 2022, defeating Afghanistan, and is the reigning champion. Bangladesh became the first Asian Games champion in men's cricket, and Sri Lanka won gold in 2014. Afghanistan has finished as runner-up three times. India did not participate in the games in 2010 and 2014.
In women's cricket, Pakistan won the first two titles, while India won gold in 2022 and 2026. Due to bad weather, six tournament matches were canceled consecutively, and attention is now focused on the weather and the final.
