India Retain Asian Games Cricket Gold With 19-Run Win

India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games on October 3, retaining the gold medal after posting 211 for six and restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in 20 overs. The victory gave India a second consecutive Asian Games title in the event, following its gold at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou. India chose to bat first at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin and built its total around fast-scoring half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. Abhishek made 61, while Varma remained unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls. Shivam Dube scored 27, and he and Varma added 62 runs for the sixth wicket in the closing overs, lifting India past 200. Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas and Ahmed Daniyal each took two wickets as the innings progressed. Pakistan had reduced India’s scoring after dismissing key batters in the middle overs, but the late partnership restored the momentum for the innings. The supplied accounts differ on some supporting scorecard details, including Varma’s number of sixes; the reported match total and result are consistent across them. Chasing 212, Pakistan lost three wickets early and stood at 39 for three in the seventh over.