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India retain Asian Games cricket gold against Pakistan (Img: X)
Nisshin: Praising Indian team's handling of pressure against Pakistan in Asian Games 2026 men's cricket final BCCI President Mithun Manhan took a swipe at the quality if competition provided by Pakistan team.
In the final match, India claimed one of their 21 gold medals at the Games by defeating Pakistan by 19 runs at Korakuen Stadium in Nisshin, Japan, on October 3. Arch-rival Pakistan mounted a strong challenge during the chase, but the defending champions held their nerve to retain the gold medal.
BCCI President Manhas, however, said the outcome also reflected what he sees as a decline in the competitiveness of India-Pakistan encounters.
“They defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, who I feel don't offer much competition anymore, and the way our team handled pressure situations... no other team in the world can do that," Manhas said after the final.
The BCCI president also praised India’s campaign throughout the tournament. He said that the team had firmly established itself as the best side in the competition.
"By far the best team of the tournament. We are the defending champions, and the performance they have shown this time is commendable,” he added.
Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma played strong roles in helping India post a formidable 211, with both batters scoring half-centuries.
Manhas singled out the contributions of the two batters, while explaining how India’s opening and middle-order partnerships put Pakistan under sustained pressure.
“This is a team sport. Tilak Varma batted brilliantly, and Abhishek Sharma set the tone for the game. The job of openers is to build the innings, and the middle order finishes it. So, the openers basically set the tone," Manhas said.
Abhishek provided India with a fierce start, smashing 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak scored 51 from 22 deliveries. India lost wickets in the middle overs but regained momentum through Tilak and Shivam Dube. Tilak and Dubey shared a 62-run partnership off 30 balls for the sixth wicket.
“Team India's batting has been tremendous, and as for the bowling, I would say everyone contributed together to defend a good total,” the former Delhi batter added.
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India’s 211 was the first score above 200 in the tournament. Pakistan, however, made a determined attempt to chase down the target, with Hasan Nawaz leading the charge with a blistering 96 off 51 balls.
India’s bowling attack eventually restricted Pakistan to 182/6 after 20 overs to seal a 19-run victory. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took two wickets apiece, while Jasprit Bumrah finished without a wicket but played an important role by maintaining control during the tense stages of the chase.
The victory secured consecutive Asian Games cricket gold medals for India following their triumph in the previous edition.
