By Jagjagran | 1 October 2026
A dream India vs Pakistan gold-medal final is now just one win away. Pakistan have already booked their place in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket final, beating Bangladesh by 6 wickets. India, led by Shreyas Iyer, take on Sri Lanka in the second semi-final today — and a win sets up a blockbuster clash with Pakistan on Saturday, 3 October.
Here's everything you need to know.
PAKISTAN REACH THE FINAL
In the first semi-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, a wet outfield cut the match to 13 overs a side.
→ Bangladesh scored 111/7 (Towhid Hridoy 42).
→ Pakistan chased it down at 112/4 in 11.3 overs.
→ Abdul Samad (30* off 15) and Hasan Nawaz (27* off 22) sealed it with an unbeaten 59-run stand.
Pakistan are now through to the gold-medal match.
INDIA vs SRI LANKA: THE SECOND SEMI-FINAL
India face Sri Lanka at the same venue today. (Indian outlets list a 10:00 AM IST start; ESPNcricinfo lists 2 PM local, i.e. 10:30 AM IST.)
India are the defending champions and overwhelming favourites. Their squad includes Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Axar Patel. Sri Lanka, captained by Sahan Arachchige, have sent a largely second-string side.
THE STRANGE ROUTE TO THE SEMIS
Here's the twist: all four quarter-finals were washed out without a ball bowled. The four seeded teams — India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh — advanced purely on ICC T20I rankings. None of today's semi-finalists had faced a single ball in the tournament before the semis.
THE RAIN RULES
If India vs Sri Lanka is washed out, India (the higher seed) go through to the final. A tie goes to a Super Over. And if even the final is rained off, the two teams share the gold.
WHAT A WIN MEANS
An India victory guarantees at least a silver medal and sets up an India vs Pakistan gold-medal final on Saturday, 3 October — the match every fan wants. India are defending the men's gold they won in Hangzhou 2023.
INDIA'S MEDAL TALLY
India have 60 medals so far (10 gold, 21 silver, 29 bronze), 8th on the table. On 30 September alone, India's compound archers swept all three team golds, and the trap mixed team added another.
Today also features a massive India vs Pakistan men's hockey semi-final at 1 PM IST.
WHERE TO WATCH
Sony Sports 1 (TV) and Sony LIV (streaming).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Who will India play in the Asian Games cricket final if they win?
A: Pakistan, who have already qualified. The final is on 3 October.
Q: What time is India vs Sri Lanka today?
A: Around 10:00-10:30 AM IST at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.
Q: What happens if the match is washed out?
A: India advance as the higher-seeded team.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo, Olympics.com, Business Standard, The Tribune, ANI. (Update the India vs Sri Lanka result once ESPNcricinfo confirms it.)
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