Aichi-Nagoya, Oct. 3 -- Indian men's cricket team players celebrated their impressive 19-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games 2026 final in Japan on Saturday, as they successfully defended their gold medal.

Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 61 off 28 balls, including seven sixes, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 as India posted 211/6.

Pakistan mounted a strong challenge through Hasan Nawaz, who smashed 96 off 51 balls, but India's bowlers held their nerve to restrict the opponents to 192/6. The victory also extended India's dominance over Pakistan to six consecutive wins since the 2024 T20 World Cup.

India head coach VVS Laxman congratulated the team on winning the Asian Games gold, prai...