India and Pakistan set for Asian Games 2026 cricket final

MUMBAI: The rivalry is back, and this time there is gold on the line. India and Pakistan are set to face each other in the men’s cricket final of the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday, October 3, bringing one of cricket’s most closely watched match-ups to the continental multi-sport stage.

The final will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, with live coverage beginning at 9.30 am IST and the match scheduled to start at 10 am IST. Viewers in India can watch the contest on Sony Sports Network, while the match will also stream live on Sony LIV.

The meeting comes after both teams came through their semi-finals with convincing wins. India booked their place in the gold medal match with a 124-run victory over Sri Lanka, while Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by six wickets to complete the final line-up.

India’s route to the semi-finals had already been shaped by the rain that disrupted the men’s cricket competition. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned, but India progressed as the higher-ranked side and subsequently produced a commanding performance against Sri Lanka to move into the final.

Pakistan faced a similar weather interruption in the quarter-finals, with their match against Hong Kong abandoned. As the higher-seeded side, Pakistan advanced and then defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in the semi-final to keep their gold-medal campaign on track.

India’s semi-final victory was particularly emphatic. After putting 169 runs on the board, India dismissed Sri Lanka for just 45, sealing a 124-run win and leaving the team one match away from another Asian Games gold medal.

Pakistan’s semi-final was reduced to 13 overs a side because of the weather, but the shorter contest did little to prevent them from completing their chase. They reached Bangladesh’s target with six wickets in hand, setting up the final against India.

The match also adds another chapter to a rivalry that routinely attracts attention far beyond the regular cricket audience. This time, however, the stakes extend beyond the familiar India-Pakistan contest, with an Asian Games gold medal waiting at the finish line.

The final is also the first time India and Pakistan will meet in an Asian Games men’s cricket final. The two sides most recently met in a final at the Asia Cup in 2025, adding another recent high-profile chapter to the rivalry.

For India, the contest carries the added context of defending their Asian Games men’s cricket title. India won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, with the final against Afghanistan decided without a full contest because of rain.

Pakistan, meanwhile, will be looking to claim the men’s cricket gold medal for the first time at the Asian Games. That gives Saturday’s contest another layer beyond the rivalry itself, with both teams chasing a place at the top of the podium.

The timing is also set to make the match an early sporting appointment for Indian viewers. Live coverage begins at 9.30 am IST on Sony Sports Network, with the first ball scheduled for 10 am, giving fans a full morning of cricket built around one of the most anticipated fixtures of the Games.

On television, the final will be available on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD and HD with Hindi coverage, and Sony Sports Ten 4 SD with Tamil, Telugu and Kannada coverage. The match will also be available to stream live on Sony LIV.

With India arriving after a 124-run semi-final win and Pakistan following a six-wicket victory, neither side will have to look far for momentum. But with the gold medal at stake, the numbers from the semi-finals will soon give way to a fresh contest, one where the scoreboard, rather than the rivalry’s history, will decide who takes the top prize.