Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated India’s men’s cricket team after it defeated Pakistan by 19 runs to win gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. India successfully defended its title with a strong all-round performance in the high-scoring T20 final.
India posted 211/6 after opting to bat first. Abhishek Sharma provided a rapid start with 61 runs, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls to power India past the 200-run mark.
Pakistan mounted a strong chase and reached 192/6 in 20 overs. Hasan Nawaz led the response with a fighting 96, but India’s bowlers held their nerve to secure the 19-run victory. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube claimed two wickets each.
Shah hailed the team’s performance and praised its batting, bowling and fielding display in the final. He described the triumph as a “smashing victory” and congratulated the players for retaining the Asian Games crown.
The victory gave India consecutive men’s cricket gold medals at the Asian Games, following the team’s title at the 2023 edition.
India had earlier secured gold in the women’s cricket competition after defeating Sri Lanka, completing a cricket double at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
The men’s victory generated widespread attention in India, with social media users celebrating the result and highlighting the significance of the India-Pakistan final.
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