IOA chief PT Usha met the Indian Cricket Team after their thrilling win over Pakistan to win the Asian Games gold medal in Nisshin on Saturday.
IMAGE: Indian Olympic Association and track and field legend PT Usha meets Sanju Samson and the Indian team after their Asian Games gold medal on Saturday. Photograph: PT Usha/X
Key Points
- India successfully defended their Asian Games men’s cricket title, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final.
- Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 22 helped India post a formidable total of 211/6.
- Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz scored 96 off 51 balls, but India’s bowlers held their nerve to restrict them to 192/6.
- The victory marks India’s sixth consecutive win over Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
- Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha celebrated the ‘nerve-wracking final’ with the team.
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India’s track and field legend and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha celebrated with the Indian cricket team after their Asian Games 2026 final in Nisshin on Saturday. India successfully defended their Asian Games menтАЩs title, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs in the final.
Match Highlights and Key Performances
IMAGE: PT Usha with state mate Sanju Samson and the Indian cricket squad after their gold medal win. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 61 off 28 balls, including seven sixes, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 as India posted 211/6. Pakistan mounted a strong challenge through Hasan Nawaz, who smashed 96 off 51 balls, but IndiaтАЩs bowlers held their nerve to restrict the opponents to 192/6.
Dominance Over Arch-Rivals
The victory also extended IndiaтАЩs dominance over Pakistan to six consecutive wins since the 2024 T20 World Cup. ‘What a thrilling, nerve-wracking final! Watching our MenтАЩs Cricket Team defend 211 runs to win the Asian Games Gold against Pakistan was an unforgettable experience. I have to admit, @JayShah and I were counting down every ball & praying for that extra wicket in the tense final,’ she wrote on X.
Captain’s Perspective on Team Effort
India posted 211 for six before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six, with captain Shreyas Iyer highlighting the collective contribution of his players. “When you’re playing a final, you want each and every individual to step up and deliver. And that’s what we witnessed today. “Abhishek giving us that start and then Tilak basically finishing off the innings. And then in bowling, Washington taking that charge, Axar being himself all the time and Bumrah, we know what he has got in his summary,” Iyer said after the gold medal win on Saturday.
