India and Pakistan will face each other in the Asian Games for the very first time when they meet in the men's cricket gold-medal final on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at the Karogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The contest carries historic significance — across five previous matches India have played since the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games, the two sides have never crossed paths at the continental showpiece, making this final a maiden meeting.

Road to the Final

Defending champions India produced a commanding semifinal display, registering a 124-run victory over a second-string Sri Lanka side. Opener Ishan Kishan blazed an electric 80 off 46 balls — including five sixes and four fours — while teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided a blistering 38 off 21 balls at the top to push India to an imposing 169/7. Defending that total, the bowlers were ruthless: Jasprit Bumrah tore through the Sri Lankan top order with a double-wicket opening over, finishing with 2 for 7. Axar Patel chipped in with 2 for 8 and Abhishek Sharma took 2 for 2, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for a mere 45.

Pakistan, for their part, came through a tighter contest against Bangladesh. Their bowlers strangled Bangladesh to 111/7, with Saim Ayub proving particularly difficult to score off — conceding just 3 runs in 2 overs while picking up a wicket. The chase had a wobble when Mahedi Hasan removed opener Sahibzada Farhan in the second over, but useful cameos from Maaz Sadaqat (15 off 7), Usman Khan (14 off 9), and Ayub (21 off 12) kept Pakistan on track. The decisive moment arrived when Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz plundered 23 runs off Mustafizur Rahman's 10th over, with Samad accounting for 22 of those. Pakistan sealed the win in the 12th over by 6 wickets with 9 balls to spare. It is worth noting that both sides had their respective quarterfinals washed out due to rain, meaning the semifinals were their first competitive outings of the tournament in Nisshin.

The Historic Rivalry Context

India-Pakistan matches in global cricket tournaments are among the most-watched sporting events on the planet, and this one carries an additional layer of novelty. Despite the Asian Games having featured cricket since the 2010 Guangzhou edition, the two sides have never been drawn against each other in the event until now. The women's teams have followed a similar path — Harmanpreet Kaur's side, which recently claimed gold after defeating Sri Lanka in their final, also did not face Pakistan during the women's event at these Games. This final, therefore, is the first time the full intensity of the India-Pakistan rivalry has been brought to bear on the Asiad cricket stage.

Team Squads

India field a full-strength side captained by Shreyas Iyer, with Sanju Samson behind the wickets. The batting unit features Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, and Shivam Dube, while the bowling is anchored by Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh alongside spin options Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravi Bishnoi. Pakistan are led by Sahibzada Farhan and include seamers Mohammad Wasim Jr and Ahmed Daniyal, alongside spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim.

Match Details and Where to Watch

The gold-medal final takes place on Saturday, 3 October 2026, at the Karogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The match will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network on television, and streamed on the SonyLIV app and website. India enter the final as defending champions, having won gold at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games, and will be aiming to become the first side to retain the title at the continental event.