India won the toss and chose to bat against Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket gold-medal match on October 3. The final is being played at the Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. Captain Shreyas Iyer kept an unchanged playing eleven.

This is the first time India and Pakistan have met in an Asian Games final. India are the defending champions in both men’s and women’s cricket. Pakistan are chasing their first-ever cricket gold at the Games. India hold a dominant 14-3 record against Pakistan in T20 internationals.

India reached the final by crushing Sri Lanka in the semifinal. Riding on Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 80, India posted 169 for 7. Sri Lanka were then bowled out for just 45 in 10 overs. Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-hit 13-over semifinal.

The quarterfinals were washed out, so both teams advanced without playing. If rain stops play in the final, both teams will share the gold. Earlier, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 63 runs to take the bronze medal. Sony Sports Network is broadcasting the match live in India.