India have booked a place in the men’s cricket final at the 2026 Asian Games, after a 124- run victory over Sri Lanka in the second semi-final on Thursday. The result means they will face Pakistan in the gold medal match, on 3 October at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. Having set Sri-Lanka 170 to win from their 20 overs, India had their strong bowling attack limiting the opposition to just 45 runs in 9.5 overs. Ishan Kishan led the way for India from the middle order with an unbeaten 80 from 46 balls.

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Ishan Kishan Provides India’s Batting Push

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl. This was a big opportunity for the spinners on a pitch that was not allowing the Indian batsmen to play strokes. India regularly lost wickets in the innings, meaning they couldn't have a long opening partnership. Topping the innings off still was 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 38 off 21 balls. Sooryavanshi's big hitting allowed India to get some momentum in the innings before Kishan brought the innings to a close.

Kishan remained unbeaten on 80 from 46 deliveries, providing the stability India needed after the middle-order wickets fell. His innings helped India reach 169/7, leaving Sri Lanka with a target of 170. The target was relatively achievable in T20 cricket, but the Indian attack prevented Sri Lanka from ever getting close to a competitive chase.

Bumrah Strikes Early as Sri Lanka Collapses

The entire Sri Lankan attack bowled less than ten overs. India's new-ball pair Jasprit Bumrah struck almost immediately, claiming a pair of wickets in his first over, which applied early pressure on the Sri Lankan team. Abhishek Sharma then also took two wickets as the Sri Lankan innings continued to drift away.

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Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 45 in 9.5 overs, earning India a 124-run victory. The victory was a result of some early wickets combined with disciplined bowling and pressure rather than a single spell of out and out fast bowling. The other side of the coin was that it also meant Sri Lanka was out of the gold medal race, with India moving forward to the final against Pakistan.

India vs Pakistan Final Set for October 3

Pakistan had already booked their spot in the final after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in the semi-final. In the rain-affected game, reduced to 13 overs per side, they won the game chasing 112 and reaching the target with six wickets in hand. That resulted in an India-Pakistan final for the gold medal at the Asian Games. The match will be played on Saturday 3 October at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.

This would be the first occasion that the two sides compete in the men's cricket final at the Asian Games. And, India will be defending Asian Games champions. During the last edition in Hangzhou, India secured the men's cricket gold after their final against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain.

Gold Medal Now Within Reach

India's semi-final win secures them at least a silver medal, but the team will now be on the lookout for victory in the final against Pakistan. Their performance against Sri Lanka proved they are capable of pulling themselves out of a bad passage of batting and turning to their bowling strength to finish the game. Kishan's unbeaten 80 set up the foundation, Sooryavanshi contributed key runs in the middle order, and the bowlers dominated the game early after Sri Lanka started their run chase.

The final on October 3 will decide the men’s cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. India now have one match left to defend the title they won at the previous edition, while Pakistan will be looking to claim the gold after reaching the final through their semi-final victory over Bangladesh.

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Mandeep Rawat is the Director & Editor at sportselite.in, bringing a genuine interest in Sports and the stories behind every contest. His approach to Elite Sports focuses on clear reporting, meaningful context, and the details that matter to fans. At sportselite.in, Mandeep works to keep coverage informative, engaging and easy to follow, covering the people, performances, rivalries and moments that give Sports their character.

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