Before the Asian Games 2026 match against India, the phenomenon of 'Qudrat ka Nizam' (the law of nature) was discussed among the Pakistani team due to rain forecasts. If the final between India and Pakistan had been cancelled due to rain, both teams would have shared the gold medal. However, this did not happen.
The match was played entirely at the Korghi Sports Park in Nishine on Saturday (October 3), and Pakistan lost to the Indian team by a score of 19 wickets. The Indian team scored an impressive total in the final, which the Pakistani team could not chase. The Indian men's cricket team won the gold medal at the Asian Games for the second consecutive time.
It is interesting that in Pakistani cricket, 'Qudrat ka Nizam' became more than just a phrase. In recent years, this term has often been raised in the context of Pakistan's fate and cricket scenarios related to rain. This time, it was expected that history would be similar, but the weather did not allow it to happen in the final.
The story of 'Qudrat ka Nizam' is linked to 2022. At that time, Pakistan's head coach, Saklan Mushtaq, used this phrase after Pakistan's loss to England in the T20 series. He stated that everything is subject to 'Qudrat ka Nizam,' meaning what is meant to happen happens. After this, the term became closely associated with Pakistani cricket during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 and was actively used on social media.
In that tournament, Pakistan's hopes of reaching the semi-finals were considered almost exhausted. To advance further, the team needed to rely on the result of another match. At that moment, the Netherlands made a big surprise by defeating South Africa. South Africa's loss was extremely important for Pakistan; if South Africa had won, Pakistan would have been eliminated from the tournament. However, the Netherlands' victory changed the entire situation, giving Pakistan a chance to reach the semi-finals.
After South Africa's defeat, Pakistan secured its place in the semi-finals by beating Bangladesh. Then, by defeating New Zealand in the semi-finals, the team reached the final. It was then that 'Qudrat ka Nizam' became a popular slogan on social media in connection with Pakistani cricket. Pakistani fans began viewing the team's journey in the tournament from this perspective. Now, this slogan was being discussed again before the Asian Games 2026 final.
Even before the India-Pakistan final, the weather eased Pakistan's path. Pakistan's quarter-final match against Hong Kong did not take place due to rain. After the cancellation of the match, Pakistan received a spot in the semi-finals based on the best T20I ranking. There, Pakistan beat Bangladesh and advanced to the gold medal match. Thus, the rain indirectly helped Pakistan reach the final. The question arose: what would happen if the gold medal match against India was also cancelled due to rain?
After India and Pakistan reached the final, an important scenario related to rain emerged. If the match had not taken place due to bad weather, and even a super over would have been impossible, both teams would have shared the gold medal. Such a situation could have opened a path for Pakistan to win gold without winning the match. However, this time, the story related to 'Qudrat ka Nizam' did not materialize. The rain did not stop the final, and both teams had the full opportunity to play on the field.
In the match, India started the game, scoring 211 runs in 20 overs, losing 6 batsmen. Tilak Verma played a decisive role in the Indian innings. He hit a half-century in just 21 balls and put pressure on the Pakistani bowlers in the last overs. Tilak, along with Shiv Dubey, scored 62 runs for the sixth wicket. Thanks to this partnership, India set a target of 212 runs for Pakistan. In response, the Pakistani team could only score 192 runs, losing 9 batsmen.
