🏏Asian Games 2026: Final: India vs Pakistan on 03/10/26🏏

🏏Asian Games 2026: Final: India vs Pakistan at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin on 03/10/26 @ 10AM IST🏏

India (IND) take on Pakistan (PAK) in the finals of the Men's Asian Games 2026 cricket event at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday, October 3. The arch-rivals have faced each other in several important matches over the years. This time, they will battle it out with the gold medal up for grabs.

India are the favourites heading into the contest. They have almost a full-strength squad with several players in form. In the semi-final, they outplayed Sri Lanka completely. Batting first, the Men in Blue posted 169/7. In reply, the Lankan Lions were bowled out for just 45.

Pakistan, on the other hand, are missing several star players in the line-up. Sahibzada Farhan is in charge of the young side. In the semi-final, they defeated an experienced Bangladesh side by six wickets in a rain-curtailed 13-over-per-side contest.

Team news

India brought the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the semi-final while Sanju Samson moved down to No. 3. They also left out Arshdeep Singh and played Jasprit Bumrah as the lone frontline pace bowler. India may want to give Arshdeep a game on Saturday or he will return from Japan without having bowled a ball in the tournament.

India: 1 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Ishan Kishan, 6 Tilak Varma, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Washington Sundar, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan will have to field an inexperienced bowling attack but they will be expected to continue with the four spinners because of the turn and bounce on offer.

Pakistan 1 Sahibzada Farhan (capt), 2 Maaz Sadaqat, 3 Usman Khan (wk), 4 Saim Ayub, 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Arafat Minhas, 8 Ahmed Daniyal, 9 Mohammad Wasim, 10 Sufyan Moqim, 11 Abrar Ahmed

Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin: Pitch Report

The Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin has been very difficult for batting. Balls have turned square from very early in the contest. Pacers have gone for runs and it is the spinners who have thrived at the venue. The captain who wins the toss might want to bat first and put up a decent score on the board because chasing might not be easy.

Pitch and conditions

Saturday is expected to be another sunny day, as has been the case in Nisshin recently after a flurry of washouts. There might be a patch of cloud or two with the rain probability around 10% almost throughout the day. The temperature is expected to touch a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius, very pleasant for both South Asian teams.

The pitch is expected to provide some turn and bounce as was the case in the semi-finals.

In the spotlight: Sahibzada Farhan and Sanju Samson

Sahibzada Farhan is the man Pakistan need for Saturday. It's only been a year since he took down Jasprit Bumrah single-handedly in the T20 Asia Cup. His scores against India in the tournament were 57, 58 and 40 and even though Pakistan lost on all three occasions, it was his batting at the top that gave Pakistan a semblance of normalcy early in the innings with wickets falling at the other end. Another big score against the arch-rivals is Pakistan will hope for from their captain in the tournament.

Pakistan are the only opposition against whom Sanju Samson has a strike rate of under 100. While that's primarily because he has batted only twice - in the same Asia Cup - against them, Samson will be itching to get some runs against them. He also got a low score of 7 in the semi-final when he was bowled backing away. Samson could also count himself unfortunate because he batted in the middle order in that Asia Cup, and at No. 3 on Thursday, and again he could bat out of position (at No. 3) on Saturday.

Stats and trivia

1. India and Pakistan have never faced each other in the men's Asian Games.
2. Sahibzada Farhan has two half-centuries from four T20I innings against India with an average of 38.75. His strike rate of 118.32 isn't as impressive though.
3. Farhan also has the most sixes (nine) for a Pakistan batter against India in T20Is.

IND vs PAK: Head-to-Head T20I Record

Matches Played 17

Won by IND 14

Won by PAK 03

First-Ever Fixture September 14, 2007 (won by IND via bowl-out)

Most Recent Fixture February 15, 2025 (Won by IND)

IND vs PAK: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played an important cameo in the first game, amassing 38 runs off just 21 balls. He went berserk inside the powerplay and that allowed his fellow batters to take some time at the crease after Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were dismissed cheaply. Sooryavanshi will look to get his team off to another flying start.

Probable Best Bowler: Axar Patel

Axar Patel bowled brilliantly, not just in the semi-final but in the preceding one-off game against Japan. The left-arm seamer has used the conditions to good affect. His ability to target the stumps and his subtle variations of pace will be tough for the opposition batters to handle.

Today's Match Prediction: India to win the match

First To Bat

PAK Powerplay: 45-55

145-155

First To Bat

IND Powerplay: 60-70

170-180

Win Probability

PAK 50%

IND 50%

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five completed games, most recent first)

Pakistan WLWWW