India to face Pakistan for Asian Games men's cricket gold

World champions India will face arch-rivals Pakistan for Asian Games men's cricket gold after both won their semi-finals with ease on Thursday in Japan.

The final will be played on Saturday at the Korogi Athletic Park Stadium in Nagoya.

When is the India vs Pakistan Asian Games cricket final?

India and Pakistan will meet in the gold-medal match on Saturday at the Korogi Athletic Park Stadium in Nagoya.

India hammered Sri Lanka by 124 runs, while Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets. Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka for the bronze medal on the same day.

How did India beat Sri Lanka in the semi-final?

India posted a testing 169-7 on a sharply turning pitch after being asked to bat. Sri Lanka lost two wickets without a run on the board and crumbled to 45 all out in less than 10 overs of chaos that included three run-outs.

It was Sri Lanka's lowest total in a men's T20 international, worse than the 77 they scored against South Africa in New York in 2024.

Who starred for India against Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka opted to field and were given a taste of the power of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his Asian Games debut. The fearless teenager, who topped the IPL batting charts this year, smoked a whirlwind 38 off 21 balls with six fours and two enormous sixes. He fell to a thick edge caught at backward point.

"He is an amazing talent," said Sri Lankan coach Ashan Priyanjan. Ishan Kishan was India's mainstay with a crafted 80 not out, including five sixes.

When Sri Lanka batted, pace bowling great Jasprit Bumrah ripped out two wickets in his first over. They were 18-5 by the end of the fourth over, with spinner Axar Patel taking two of the wickets.

Nuwanidu Fernando decided he would not wait around for a slow death and smacked two sixes off Washington Sundar. He then ran himself out for 15 two balls later, and the last three wickets fell in three balls.

"We don't know anything about the final match yet," said Patel when asked about facing Pakistan. "Especially about which wicket we will be playing on. But all the three pitches in that square look very similar as they all have a lot of cracks."

How did Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the semi-final?

Abdul Samad smashed an unbeaten 30 off 15 balls as Pakistan thumped Bangladesh by six wickets with nine balls to spare. The semi-final was reduced to 13 overs by a wet outfield. Bangladesh posted 111-7, and Pakistan finished on 112-4.

Under clear blue skies, Pakistan soon had Bangladesh reeling at 21-3 and then 45-4 in the sixth over. Towhid Hridoy led a recovery with 42 off 25 balls, including two fours and four sixes.

Pakistan lost some early wickets, but the result never looked in doubt once Samad and Hasan Nawaz (27 not out) came together at 53-4 in the seventh over. The pair posted an unbroken stand of 59 in 32 balls as they raced to their target.

Samad put Pakistan in complete control in the 10th over, bowled by Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman, taking 22 off five balls with a six and four consecutive fours. That left Pakistan needing only 13 from 18 balls, and they cantered home.

What did Pakistan say about facing India?

"To be honest, we don't really care about who will win and who will reach the final," said Pakistan batsman Saim Ayub, who scored 21 of his side's 112-4.

"All we care about is winning the final, no matter who we are playing against," he said of the prospect of facing India.