Ishan Kishan to bat at five as India keep unchanged XI for Asian Games 2026 final vs Pakistan

Ishan Kishan will not occupy the number three spot for India in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket final against Pakistan in Japan on October 3, 2026. The Indian side have retained the same XI from the semi-final, which leaves Kishan scheduled to bat at number five.

India began their campaign in Japan with a one-off Suzuki Cup match against the hosts, a game they won by two runs, and the two-time T20 World Cup defending champions have produced stronger displays since. Their scheduled quarterfinal versus Afghanistan on September 28 was washed out and India progressed on the basis of seeding. In the semi-final, India defeated Sri Lanka courtesy of a disciplined bowling effort.

Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma each claimed two wickets in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, while 28-year-old Ishan Kishan posted an unbeaten 80. Kishan’s 80 came in the same fixture that India’s bowlers controlled to advance to the final.

The reason Kishan has not been moved up to number three is that India have opted to stick with the unchanged squad from the semi-finals. With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi included in the XI, Sanju Samson has been moved to number three and captain Shreyas Iyer remains at number four, which places Kishan at five. That selection decision has prompted questions among supporters regarding the batting order.

India have already secured a medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games and remain in contention for the same colour they won at the last edition. The Indian women’s cricket team have already defended their gold medal in Japan. The men’s summit clash is being played at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan.

Ishan Kishan will therefore bat at number five when India face Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 men’s final at Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. The team selection that produced the semi-final lineup has been retained for that summit clash.