On October 3, 2026, at Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Japan, India’s men’s cricket team defeated Pakistan by 19 runs to win the gold medal in the Asian Games. After winning gold at Hangzhou in 2023, India successfully defended their Asian Games cricket crown with this victory. In their innings, India scored 211 for 6, with Tilak Varma remaining undefeated at 51 off 22 balls and Abhishek Sharma batting 61 off 28 balls. Shivam Dube added 27 runs off of 15 balls to the total.
Despite Hasan Nawaz striking 96 off 51 balls, Pakistan’s chase was unsuccessful as they were limited to 192 for 6. In India’s bowling performance, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube each claimed two wickets. India’s women’s cricket team had already won gold in the same Games, making it a historic double for Indian cricket at the Asian Games. India’s journey to the final was greatly aided by Shivam Dube’s all-around performance with both bat and ball.
Shivam Dube’s thoughts on the historic gold medal
As Shivam Dube pondered the triumph, the significance of representing the country at the Asian Games consumed his thoughts. Beyond the individual performance metrics and touching on the deeper responsibility of playing for one’s nation, the all-rounder’s emotive assessment highlighted the significance of winning gold for India.
We’ve won gold for the nation, so it’s difficult to express how we feel. Winning gold and making the country proud, in my opinion, is a tremendous accomplishment that goes beyond words. It originates in the core of the heart. The Tribune reported Dube as adding, “Every Indian knows this, and hopefully they will feel proud of us too. The BCCI supports us, and I feel that the support we receive from them enables us to perform much better in everything we do for the country.”
In addition to being a significant accomplishment for the individual, it was also a victory for Indian cricket as a whole on the continental scene. India’s dominance in cricket and the country’s dedication to excellence in all formats and events were highlighted by the unprecedented double in the sport at the 2026 Asian Games.
