Abhishek Sharma record fuels India to 19th gold as Pakistan chase falls short

India secured their second consecutive Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal on Saturday, 3 October, defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The victory marks the first time the two rivals have met in an Asian Games cricket final and brings India’s total gold medal count to 19 at the 2026 Games. India sets high target after aggressive start After winning the toss and electing to bat, India posted a total of 211/6 in 20 overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma led the scoring with 61 runs off 28 balls, hitting seven sixes to equal Yuvraj Singh’s record for the most sixes by an Indian batter in an India-Pakistan T20I innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 15 runs, while Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51. The Indian side accelerated in the closing stages, scoring 69 runs in the final four overs. India’s bowling strategy relied heavily on spin, fielding Jasprit Bumrah as the sole specialist fast bowler alongside seamer Shivam Dube. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Dube each took two wickets to dismantle the Pakistani middle order. Despite the pressure, Ravi Bishnoi struggled, conceding 44 runs in three overs. Pakistan falls short despite Nawaz heroics Pakistan’s chase began with a 33-run opening stand between Maaz Sadaqat and captain Sahibzada Farhan before Sundar claimed the breakthrough. Hasan Nawaz led the response with a 51-ball 96, featuring five fours and seven sixes. Nawaz shared an 87-run partnership with Saim Ayub, but the Pakistani…