Nisshin, Japan · 3 October 2026 — Pakistan’s young side came within one big over of an upset but had to settle for silver at the 2026 Asian Games, losing the men’s cricket final to India by 19 runs at Korogi Athletic Park.
India set 212
India won the toss and batted first. Quick half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, scored at either end of the innings, carried them to 211 for 6 in their 20 overs. Pakistan’s attack, missing all of its senior fast bowlers, struggled to slow the scoring.
Hasan Nawaz’s 96 keeps Pakistan alive
The chase started badly. Captain Sahibzada Farhan fell for 10 and wicketkeeper Usman Khan for 3, and Saim Ayub’s 29 off 22 balls ended when Shivam Dube had him caught. India’s spinners Washington Sundar and Axar Patel each took 2 for 29 to squeeze the middle overs.
Then Hasan Nawaz took over. The right-hander hit 96 off 51 balls with five fours and seven sixes, dragging Pakistan back into the contest and making the final overs genuinely tense. He was out off the very last ball, caught behind off Dube, four short of a famous hundred. Pakistan finished on 192 for 6.
How Pakistan reached the final
- Quarter-final v Hong Kong (28 September): washed out without a ball bowled. Pakistan went through on their higher ICC T20I ranking.
- Semi-final v Bangladesh (1 October): a win that guaranteed at least silver.
- Final v India (3 October): lost by 19 runs.
What the silver means
This was a deliberately second-string squad. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and regular T20I captain Salman Ali Agha were all left out, and four players arrived uncapped in T20Is. Reaching the final and running a full-strength India close is a real positive.
It is also Pakistan’s best men’s result at the Asian Games: they won bronze in Guangzhou in 2010 and finished fourth in Hangzhou in 2023. For Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub and the new faces, it strengthens the case for senior T20I places.
Scorecard summary
| Team | Score | Key performers |
|---|---|---|
| India | 211/6 (20 ov) | Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, half-centuries |
| Pakistan | 192/6 (20 ov) | Hasan Nawaz 96 (51), Saim Ayub 29 (22) |
Result: India won by 19 runs. Gold: India · Silver: Pakistan · Bronze: Sri Lanka.
Next for Pakistan: three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on 9, 11 and 13 October. See our Pakistan Players page for full profiles.