India and Pakistan are scheduled to face each other in the men's cricket gold medal match at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday, 3 October — a fixture that will mark the first time the two nations have contested a cricket match within that tournament. Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin will host the decider, with neither team having dropped a point across their path through the competition.
India, the defending Asian Games title holders, advanced to the final by defeating Sri Lanka in the semifinal. Setting a total of 169/7, India then dismissed Sri Lanka for 45 runs across fewer than ten overs, securing a 124-run margin of victory. Ishan Kishan compiled 80 runs off 46 balls, batting through to the close without being dismissed, while the bowling attack held Sri Lanka to a total that offered no substantial reply.
Rain reduced the scheduled semifinal between Pakistan and Bangladesh, leaving both sides with considerably less playing time than originally planned. Reduced to a 13-over contest, Bangladesh posted 111/7, a total Pakistan overhauled with 1.3 overs to spare. A partnership between Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad carried Pakistan through the run target, securing the side a place in the men's Asian Games cricket final for the first time.
The two finalists have met across a series of T20I encounters in recent years. Five of the last five completed T20I fixtures between the two sides have gone India's way, with their overall record in the format against Pakistan now standing at 14 wins from 17 contests.
At the T20 World Cup fixture held on 15 February 2026, a 61-run margin separated the two sides, with India taking the victory. India posted 175 for 7 wickets, a target Pakistan were unable to reach, with their innings closing at 114 all out.
On 28 September 2025, India reached the Asia Cup final target of 146 runs — set by Pakistan across their 50 overs — with five wickets still in hand. At the Asia Cup Super Four on 21 September 2025, India reached a target of 172 with six wickets still in hand. On 14 September 2025, India completed an Asia Cup chase of 128 with seven wickets still in hand. All three earlier fixtures in the 2025 Asia Cup had also ended in India's favour.
On 9 June 2024, a T20 World Cup contest saw India hold Pakistan to a total six runs short of the 119 they had posted, securing the victory. At the 2026 T20 World Cup held in Colombo, Pakistan's total of 114 proved insufficient, with India taking the points in that edition of the fixture.
The gold medal match between India and Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled for 3 October, with Saturday, 4 October reserved for other fixtures. The coin toss at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, is set for 9:30 AM IST, with play scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM IST. The match is scheduled to get under way at 1:30 PM Japan Standard Time.
Coverage of the 2026 Asian Games cricket final will be available to audiences in India through Sony Sports Network's live broadcast and through Sony LIV's digital streaming platform. Viewers in Pakistan can follow the gold medal contest live on PTV Sports, the network holding Asian Games broadcast rights in that country, as well as through PTV's online platforms and the Tamasha app.
