India retain Asian Games T20 gold, beat Pakistan by 19 runs in Japan final
Synopsis
India clinched their ninth Asian Games men's T20 gold medal with a 19-run win over Pakistan in Japan — a victory made more striking by the fact that the squad was denied practice for almost a week due to relentless rain. Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and a clinical bowling unit did the job anyway, and BCCI President Mithun Manhas declared: India simply has no competition left.
Key Takeaways
India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games T20 final at Korogi Sports Park, Japan , retaining the gold medal.
Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma (51) anchored India's total of 211/6 ; Shivam Dube contributed a cameo 27 .
Hasan Nawaz hit a valiant 96 off 51 balls for Pakistan but the chase fell 19 runs short; Washington Sundar and Axar Patel took two wickets each .
India was denied practice for nearly a week due to heavy rain after arriving in Japan on 20 September ; their first full training session came just before the 1 October semifinal .
BCCI President Mithun Manhas praised the team and credited outgoing Jay Shah — now ICC Chair — for building the squad.
This is India's ninth Asian Games men's T20 gold medal .
India retained the Asian Games men's T20 gold medal with a commanding 19-run victory over Pakistan in the final held at Korogi Sports Park, Japan, on Saturday, 4 October 2025. The Shreyas Iyer-led side posted 211/6 and then bowled Pakistan out well short of the target, sealing one of the most emphatic wins in the history of the continental tournament.
How India Built a Match-Winning Total
Opting to bat first, India were powered by an aggressive top-order display. Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma struck a brisk 61, while Tilak Varma chipped in with a composed 51 to anchor the middle phase. Shivam Dube provided crucial late impetus with a swift 27, helping India post a formidable total of 211/6.
Pakistan's Chase Falls Short
Pakistan began their chase with intent, but India made timely breakthroughs at regular intervals. Hasan Nawaz kept Pakistan's hopes alive with a combative 96 off 51 balls, a knock that briefly threatened to turn the match. However, needing 33 runs off the final over, the task proved beyond Pakistan's lower order. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each in the closing stages to seal the win. Captain Iyer credited the pivotal dismissal of Saim Ayub as the momentum-shifting moment that broke Pakistan's resistance.
Iyer: 'Sign of a Champion Team'
Speaking at the medal ceremony, Iyer described the mood in the squad as 'ecstatic,' emphasising that the team had arrived in Japan on 20 September to persistent rain that denied them practice for nearly a week. Their first full training session only came ahead of the 1 October semifinal against Sri Lanka. Despite those disruptions — including a 28 September quarterfinal against Afghanistan that was washed out — the squad refused to make excuses.
'We didn't complain, we didn't give any reasons. That was the sign of a champion team, and today was just the reflection of that,' Iyer said. He praised individual contributions across the XI, singling out Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel for their bowling control in the death overs.
BCCI President Heaps Praise, Thanks Jay Shah
BCCI President Mithun Manhas, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Irani Cup clash between Rest of India and Jammu & Kashmir at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, called the triumph 'commendable' and suggested India now faces no real competition on the global stage. 'We have won this title nine times already. I don't think they have any competition left,' he said.
Manhas reserved special mention for Jay Shah, who served as BCCI General Secretary at the time the squad was built and has since become ICC Chair. 'He has made a lot of contributions to building this team. Not only for the men's team, but our women's team has also won the World Cup,' Manhas noted. He also pointed to cricket's expanding global footprint — an outcome he attributed in part to Shah's tenure at the ICC.
Context: India's Dominance in Asian Games Cricket
This is India's ninth Asian Games men's T20 title, underscoring a consistent run of dominance in the continental competition. The victory comes on the back of India's T20 World Cup win and the women's team's World Cup triumph, marking a period of sustained success across formats and genders. Notably, the squad navigated a weather-hit campaign — including a five-over contest against Japan won by just two runs in Sano — before hitting their stride in the knockout rounds.
With the squad now having demonstrated composure under adverse conditions and firepower against their fiercest rivals, all eyes will turn to India's next international assignment and whether this winning combination can be sustained across formats.
Point of View
But the more revealing detail is how they got there — no practice for a week, a rain-curtailed group game, a washed-out quarterfinal, and still a 19-run demolition of Pakistan in the final. BCCI President Manhas declaring 'no competition left' risks sounding complacent, but on the evidence of this campaign, it is hard to argue. The larger question is whether a tournament this lopsided still serves India's cricketing development, or whether the real test remains the bilateral and ICC stages where conditions and opponents are far less forgiving.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of the Asian Games 2025 men's T20 final between India and Pakistan?
India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final held at Korogi Sports Park, Japan. India posted 211/6 and dismissed Pakistan's chase well short, with Washington Sundar and Axar Patel taking two wickets each in the decisive closing overs.
Who were the top performers for India in the Asian Games T20 final?
Abhishek Sharma scored 61 and Tilak Varma added 51 to anchor India's batting, while Shivam Dube contributed 27 off the bench. In bowling, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel each took two wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah was praised by captain Shreyas Iyer as a key threat in the death overs.
How many times has India won the Asian Games men's T20 cricket gold medal?
India have won the Asian Games men's T20 gold medal nine times, making them the most dominant team in the history of the continental competition. This latest win in Japan was a successful title defence.
What did BCCI President Mithun Manhas say about the India T20 team?
Manhas called the performance 'commendable' and declared that India has 'no competition left' on the global stage. He also credited former BCCI General Secretary and current ICC Chair Jay Shah for his contributions in building both the men's and women's squads.
What challenges did India face before the Asian Games T20 final in Japan?
India was denied practice for nearly a week after arriving in Japan on 20 September due to continuous heavy rain. Their quarterfinal against Afghanistan on 28 September was washed out, and they managed their first full training session only just before the 1 October semifinal against Sri Lanka.
