After weeks of rain disruption across the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition, the tournament has delivered the one final every fan on the subcontinent wanted: India vs Pakistan. Pakistan reached the final first on October 1 with a comfortable win over Bangladesh, and India followed hours later with one of the most one-sided semi-final performances in Asian Games cricket history — a 124-run demolition of Sri Lanka. The gold medal match is now set for October 3.
Medal Match Schedule at a Glance
| Match | Fixture | Date & Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-Final 1 (Completed) | Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 6 wickets | October 1, 2026 | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin |
| Semi-Final 2 (Completed) | India beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs | October 1, 2026 | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin |
| Bronze Medal Match | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | October 3, 2026 — 05:30 AM IST | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin |
| Gold Medal Final | India vs Pakistan | October 3, 2026 — 13:30 JST / 10:00 AM IST | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin |
*Reported start times for the final in Pakistan have varied slightly between sources (roughly 9:30-10:00 AM PKT) — confirm the exact local time closer to match day.
Semi-Final Results: Full Scorecards
Here's exactly how both semi-finals went on October 1 — essential reading before the final, since several of these same players will be central to the India vs Pakistan showdown.
Semi-Final 1: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 6 wickets
Bangladesh 111/7 (13 overs) — Pakistan 112/4 (11.3/13 overs)
Bangladesh: Towhid Hridoy top-scored with 42 in a match shortened to 13 overs a side due to a wet outfield. Sufyan Moqim was Pakistan's pick of the bowlers with 3/26.
Pakistan: After a scratchy start to the chase, Abdul Samad (30 not out off 15) and Hasan Nawaz (27 not out off 22) guided Pakistan home with nine balls to spare, sealing a six-wicket win and a place in the gold medal final.
Semi-Final 2: India beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs
India 169/7 (20 overs) — Sri Lanka 45 all out (9.5 overs)
India: Ishan Kishan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls (four fours, five sixes), while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blazed 38 off just 21 balls at the top of the order. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Tilak Varma all chipped in as India posted a well-above-par total.
Sri Lanka: The reply was a total collapse — Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 45 in 9.5 overs, with Axar Patel (2/8) and Abhishek Sharma among the wicket-takers as India completed a 124-run blowout to book their place in the final against Pakistan.
India's semi-final was effectively their first real test of the tournament. Having advanced through the quarter-final against Afghanistan via a rain-abandonment and higher seeding, this was India's first completed match — and they used it to send an emphatic statement ahead of the final.
IND vs PAK Live Score: What to Search
With the final confirmed, here's exactly what fans are searching for as October 3 approaches — and where to actually find ball-by-ball updates once the match starts.
IND vs PAK Live Score
Search terms fans use: ind vs pak live score, india vs pakistan live score, ind vs pak asian games live, pakistan vs india gold medal match live, asian games final live score. Follow ball-by-ball commentary via SonyLIV (India), PTV Digital (Pakistan), or a major cricket live-score platform.
Toss and team news matter more than usual here. Given how weather-affected this tournament has been, keep an eye on toss updates, playing XI confirmations and any overs-reduction news on the morning of October 3 before assuming the match will go the full 20 overs a side.
Full Squads: India & Pakistan
Both finalists go into October 3 full of momentum from their semi-final wins, with several players already in outstanding form.
India Squad
Fresh off a 124-run winLed by Shreyas Iyer, India's squad blends IPL stars with breakout youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who starred with 38 off 21 in the semi-final after a stand-out IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 80 will have given India's middle order enormous confidence heading into the final.
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vipraj Nigam, Harshit Rana, Yash Thakur
Pakistan Squad
Chasing a first Asian Games cricket goldSahibzada Farhan leads a Pakistan squad that showed real composure under pressure against Bangladesh, with Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz finishing the semi-final chase after a shaky start — exactly the kind of calm finishing Pakistan will need again in a final of this magnitude.
Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan (wk)
*Squads listed reflect the officially announced Asian Games 2026 rosters and are subject to late changes for injury or fitness reasons — always check the confirmed playing XI on match day.
Where to Watch in India
Cricket fans in India have full coverage of the India vs Pakistan gold medal final across TV and streaming.
TV Channels
Sony Sports NetworkThe final is telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 5 for English commentary, with Hindi coverage on Sony Sports Ten 3 and regional-language coverage (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) on Sony Sports Ten 4.
Live Streaming
SonyLIV app & websiteLive streaming is available through SonyLIV, with a mobile-only annual plan as the cheapest entry point and a premium plan adding access on smart TVs and other devices.
Selected Free Coverage
DD SportsSelect Asian Games events, including some cricket coverage, have also been made available through DD Sports as part of India's wider Games broadcast arrangements.
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Where to Watch in Pakistan
Pakistani fans gearing up for a shot at Asian Games gold against India have their own dedicated broadcast setup.
TV Channel
PTV SportsPTV Sports is the confirmed broadcaster for the India vs Pakistan Asian Games 2026 gold medal final in Pakistan.
Live Streaming
PTV DigitalPTV Digital provides an online streaming option for Pakistani fans without access to cable or satellite TV, mirroring the PTV Sports television coverage.
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India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record
India go into this final in excellent recent form against Pakistan in T20 internationals, having completed a clean sweep the last time the two sides met.
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2025 | Asia Cup 2025, Group Stage | India won by 7 wickets |
| 21 Sep 2025 | Asia Cup 2025, Super Four | India won by 6 wickets |
| 28 Sep 2025 | Asia Cup 2025, Final | India won by 5 wickets (Tilak Varma 69*) |
| 3 Oct 2026 | Asian Games 2026, Gold Medal Final | Upcoming |
India's most recent meeting with Pakistan was a complete 3-0 sweep at the 2025 Men's T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, with Tilak Varma's unbeaten 69 sealing the final and Kuldeep Yadav's wrist-spin repeatedly troubling the Pakistan top order throughout the tournament. Pakistan's last win over India in a major multi-team T20 event came back at the 2022 Asia Cup. With several of the same players from that 2025 series — including Tilak Varma, Sahibzada Farhan and Abdul Samad — involved again here, the Asian Games final carries genuine head-to-head history into it.
Why This Final Is Bigger Than a Normal Match
India and Pakistan do not currently play bilateral cricket series against each other, which means their cricket matches only happen at multi-team events — the Asia Cup, ICC World Cups, or multi-sport events like the Asian Games. That scarcity is exactly why an India vs Pakistan final, whenever it happens, becomes one of the most-watched sporting events on the planet, regardless of the format or the tournament it's attached to.
First Asian Games meeting of 2026
Different sport, same intensityThis is the first time India and Pakistan have met in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after their men's teams took different, rain-assisted paths through the knockout rounds to get here.
A first cricket gold for Pakistan?
India chasing back-to-back goldIndia are defending their 2023 Hangzhou men's cricket gold medal, while Pakistan will be targeting their first Asian Games men's cricket gold medal against the side that beat them three times running in 2025.
Expect this to be among the most-searched sporting fixtures anywhere in the world on October 3, spanning both countries and their large diaspora communities worldwide — including in the UK, where TripNext's own customer base regularly asks about travel and viewing options around major India vs Pakistan cricket fixtures.
Weather Update: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
Rain has been the single biggest storyline of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition, washing out all four quarter-finals outright and even shortening the Bangladesh vs Pakistan semi-final to 13 overs a side due to a wet outfield. Despite that, both semi-finals did produce a result, and the earlier outlook for improved conditions around the medal matches has so far broadly held.
Keep an eye on conditions right up to the morning of October 3. Given how disruptive this tournament's weather has already been — including a rain-reduced semi-final just two days before the final — it's worth checking an updated local forecast for Nisshin on match morning rather than assuming a full 20-over contest is guaranteed for either the bronze medal match or the final.
What Happens If the Final Is Washed Out?
This has been the defining rules question of the whole tournament, and the answer is different for the final than it was for the quarter-finals. Earlier in the competition, an abandoned knockout match meant the higher-seeded team advanced automatically. For the gold medal final itself, the rule is different: if the India vs Pakistan final is abandoned entirely without a result, India and Pakistan would share the gold medal rather than the title being awarded to one side on seeding.
That's a meaningful distinction for fans on both sides to understand — a washout on October 3 wouldn't produce a "winner" by ranking the way the quarter-finals did, but a shared gold medal for both India and Pakistan.
Bronze Medal Match: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
Before the gold medal final, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — the two beaten semi-finalists — meet for bronze on the same day at the same venue, with the match scheduled earlier in the morning (05:30 AM IST) ahead of the India vs Pakistan final. Both sides will want to bounce back after their respective semi-final defeats: Sri Lanka's batting collapsed to 45 all out against India, while Bangladesh fell short chasing a tight target against Pakistan.
Previous Asian Games Cricket Finals
Cricket has a short but eventful Asian Games history, and this will be the first time India and Pakistan have met in the men's final.
| Edition | Men's Final Result | Women's Final Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Hangzhou | India won gold (final vs Afghanistan abandoned; India awarded gold as higher-ranked side). Bangladesh beat Pakistan for bronze. | India beat Sri Lanka in the final for gold. Sri Lanka had beaten Pakistan in the semi-final to reach that final. |
| 2026 Aichi-Nagoya | India vs Pakistan final — October 3, 2026 (upcoming) | India retained gold, beating Sri Lanka in the final with a record 216/3. Pakistan beat Bangladesh for bronze. |
India's women's team has already defended their Asian Games title in the current 2026 Games, beating Sri Lanka in the final — giving India a genuine shot at an Asian Games cricket "double" if the men's side can beat Pakistan on October 3.
Travelling to Japan for the Final
With an India vs Pakistan gold medal final now locked in for October 3 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, near Nagoya, interest in flights to Japan has understandably spiked. Whether you're chasing a ticket to the final itself or just want to be in Japan for the atmosphere around the Asian Games, now is the time to start comparing flight options.
Compare Flights to Japan