Tokyo: India retained their Asian Games men’s cricket crown with a victory over Pakistan in a high-profile gold medal clash at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.

The final marked the first-ever meeting between India and Pakistan in Asian Games cricket, adding another chapter to one of the sport’s biggest rivalries. India had won the inaugural gold medal at Hangzhou 2023 after the final against Afghanistan was washed out and the result was decided on rankings.

Captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first, with India producing an explosive batting display to post a formidable 211 for six from their 20 overs.

Abhishek Sharma set the tone at the top with a blistering 61 from just 28 balls. He raced to his half-century in only 20 deliveries as India surged to 81 for two at the end of the Powerplay.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed 15 from nine balls before being dismissed by Saim Ayub, while Sanju Samson fell cheaply for two.

India’s scoring rate slowed during the middle overs following Abhishek’s dismissal, with Ishan Kishan making 20 and skipper Iyer contributing 21. Pakistan briefly pulled the contest back by restricting the flow of boundaries and taking regular wickets.

Tilak Varma, however, changed the momentum dramatically at the death. The left-hander struck an unbeaten 51 from only 22 balls, including three fours and four sixes, while Shivam Dube added a rapid 27 from 15 deliveries.

The pair powered India through a devastating final phase, with 69 runs coming from the last four overs to push the total beyond 200 and leave Pakistan facing a target of 212.

Pakistan mounted a determined response in the chase, led by Hasan Nawaz, who produced a powerful innings to keep his side in contention deep into the match.

India’s bowlers, however, struck at crucial intervals and ensured Pakistan remained behind the required rate as the pressure mounted in the closing overs.

Axar Patel and Washington Sundar played important roles with the ball, while Shivam Dube also provided a key breakthrough as India defended their imposing total.

The victory completed a strong tournament for India, who had stormed into the final after defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-final. India scored 169 for seven in that match before bowling Sri Lanka out for just 45, with Ishan Kishan leading the batting effort with an unbeaten 80.

Pakistan had reached the title clash after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-shortened semi-final.

India’s triumph in Nisshin ensured back-to-back Asian Games cricket gold medals and delivered another major title against Pakistan on the continental stage.