India and Pakistan to contest Asian Games cricket gold medal

India and Pakistan will face each other for the first time in the Asian Games cricket event, with the gold medal at stake on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The final will be held at Karogi Sports Park in Nisshin, marking the first meeting between the two nations in the tournament since the Hangzhou 2023 Games.

India secured their place in the final with a 124-run win over Sri Lanka. Ishan Kishan led the batting with 80 runs from 46 balls, while Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded the bowling attack with figures of 2-7. India reached a total of 169/7 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 45, with Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma also taking two wickets each.

Pakistan advanced after a six-wicket semifinal victory against Bangladesh, chasing down a target of 112 with nine balls remaining. Saim Ayub contributed 21 runs off 12 balls, while Abdul Samad provided a crucial cameo, scoring 22 runs in a single over from Mustafizur Rahman to tilt the game in Pakistan's favor. Both teams reached the final after their respective quarterfinal matches were washed out due to rain.

What to watch: The performance of the pace attacks on the Nisshin surface during the gold medal decider.

Editor's note: The article effectively summarizes the provided source, capturing the key events, statistics, and context of the Asian Games cricket semifinal matches.

This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: NDTV Sports