India to meet Pakistan in men's cricket final at Asian Games 2026 in Nisshin on Oct 3
India and Pakistan will face each other in the men's cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on October 03, 2026, at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with the match scheduled to start at 10 AM IST on Saturday. Both teams progressed from their semifinals to set up the headline clash.
Pakistan advanced after a rain-affected semi against Bangladesh, chasing 112 runs in 11.3 overs as their middle-order steadied the innings, while India beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs to reach the final. This will be Pakistan's first appearance in the Asian Games gold-medal match, and India arrive aiming to retain the title from the previous edition.
The weather forecast for Saturday afternoon in Nisshin predicts clear and bright conditions with a maximum temperature around 25°C and average humidity near 45 percent. The Korogi Sports Park wicket has been described as slower with several cracks, playing two-paced with uneven bounce, making batting challenging and increasing the importance of spin bowling. Recent matches suggest an average first-innings total at the venue of about 135-145, a score that can be defended if bowling is disciplined.
India's likely playing XI named in the preview comprises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi and Jasprit Bumrah. The list includes Shreyas Iyer as captain and Sanju Samson as wicket-keeper within the eleven.
Pakistan's probable eleven listed in the piece is Sahibzada Farhan (c), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhas, Ahmed Daniyal, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim. Sahibzada Farhan is named as Pakistan's captain and Usman Khan as the designated wicket-keeper.
Dream11 recommendations provided include wicket-keepers Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson; batters Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sahibzada Farhan, Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma; all-rounders Axar Patel, Saim Ayub and Maaz Sadaqat; and bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Ahmed Daniyal and Sufiyan Muqeem. The preview lists multiple captain and vice-captain options: one set gives Captain First-Choice: Ishan Kishan || Captain Second-Choice: Sufiyan Muqeem and Vice-Captain First-Choice: Saim Ayub || Vice-captain Second Choice: Jasprit Bumrah; an alternate set recommends Captain First-Choice: Abhishek Sharma || Captain Second-Choice: Axar Patel and Vice-Captain First-Choice: Vaibhav Suryavanshi || Vice-captain Second Choice: Sanju Samson.
The article notes the historical T20I head-to-head between the sides, stating 17 matches have been played with India winning 14 and Pakistan three, and concludes by backing India to win the final. Khel Now's preview also states the current Indian side is more experienced than the Pakistani team and uses that assessment to support its pick.
The IND vs PAK final of the Asian Games 2026 will take place on October 03, 2026 at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join their community on Whatsapp & Telegram.