India captain Shreyas Iyer was over the moon as he led the Men in Blue to the gold medal in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket event. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Nisshin on October 3, 2026.
India won the toss and batted first, scoring 211/6 in 20 overs, with Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma (51*) being the top scorers. In response, Hasan Nawaz shouldered the chase for Pakistan, scoring 96 runs with 7 sixes and 5 fours, but the Men in Green only managed 192/6 in 20 overs.
This was the second time India won the Asian Games gold medal in the men's cricket event, as they had won the coveted prize in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in China as well.
“If I have to use a word, I would say 'ecstatic' as well because since the day we arrived in Japan, it has been raining cats and dogs, and we couldn't practice for almost a week. But the boys, the way they prepped themselves and also were doing their training on the side, we didn't complain; we didn't give any reasons. So that was a sign of a champion itself, a champion team. And today was just a reflection of that,” Shreyas Iyer said after the match, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Shreyas Iyer was also asked about Pakistan’s chase when Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub were going great guns.
“Well, they were cruising pretty well, and they got that momentum in between. I just wanted to see that I get that fifth (bowler) over as soon as possible and finish it off, and then Bumrah was there, Washi was there, and the lead bowlers wanted to come in as well. So, I basically paced their overs pretty well. That's what I felt. And especially when the run rate is about 13 to 14, we know that the batsmen are going to take charge, and one wicket is going to change the momentum and shift the momentum towards us. So that's what happened, and that crucial wicket of... I don't remember the name of the batsman (Ayub), but that changed the momentum,” Shreyas said.
Shreyas Iyer praised Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma for their knocks and also spoke about different players contributing to the wins.
“When you're playing a final, you want each and every individual to step up and deliver, and that's what we witnessed today. Abhishek gave us that start, and then Tilak basically finished off the innings, and then in bowling, Washi took the charge, Axar was himself all the time, and Bumrah, we know what he has got. So yeah, collective effort, and overall, I would say a comprehensive win.
Definitely, I mean, I'm extremely happy, and all of us are just waiting to go back to the hotel (for celebrations). We've been on the ground for a while now, so yes, we haven't decided what we are going to do, but let's see,” Shreyas Iyer concluded.
Shreyas Iyer and the Indian team will next be seen in action when they take on the West Indies in a five-match T20I series at home, starting with the first game on October 6 in Lucknow.
