India stormed into the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final after defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs. Shreyas Iyer captained India during Thursday’s second semifinal on October 1. Pakistan had already secured the other final spot. Therefore, India and Pakistan will now meet for the gold medal on October 3. The final will begin at 10 AM Indian time. Sri Lanka won the toss at Nishin Korogi Sports Park and chose to bowl first. India responded with 169 runs for seven wickets across 20 overs. However, Sri Lanka collapsed during the chase and managed only 45 runs in 9.5 overs.
Ishan Kishan produces India’s match-winning batting effort
Ishan Kishan delivered India’s standout batting performance on a difficult pitch. He remained unbeaten on 80 from 46 balls, hitting four fours and five sixes. His innings helped India cross the 160-run mark after several batters struggled. Vaibhav Suryavanshi added 38 runs with six fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson scored seven runs each. Tilak Varma contributed two, while Axar Patel added eight runs. Shivam Dube scored three, whereas Shreyas Iyer made 13. Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on seven runs. Without Kishan’s contribution, India could have struggled to reach 100 runs. His composed approach instead helped the team build a competitive total.
Sri Lanka loses wickets rapidly during the chase
Sri Lanka endured a disastrous start while pursuing India’s target. The team lost two wickets without scoring before its third wicket fell at two runs. Soon, the fourth and fifth wickets fell at 18 runs. Consequently, half the Sri Lankan batting lineup returned with only 18 runs. The sixth wicket fell at 31, while the seventh followed at 33. Finally, Sri Lanka lost its eighth, ninth and tenth wickets at 45 runs. Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma claimed two wickets each. Washington Sundar added one wicket for India. As a result, Sri Lanka failed to build any recovery during the chase.
India now faces Pakistan for Asian Games gold
India’s 124-run victory confirmed its place in the gold medal contest. Pakistan had already reached the final before India completed its semifinal win. Now, both sides will meet on October 3 for the Asian Games gold medal. The match will start at 10 AM according to Indian time. India’s batting depth and disciplined bowling carried the team through the semifinal. However, the biggest stage now awaits against Pakistan.
