"Matter of great pride": Rajeev Shukla hails India's Asian Games gold win over Pakistan

India won the men's cricket gold at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating arch-rival Pakistan by 19 runs in Nisshin, Japan. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla described the victory as "a matter of great pride," noting the players handled unfamiliar wicket conditions and that Indian cricket's depth allowed the federation to contest multiple events simultaneously.

India 211/6 (20 overs). Pakistan 192/6 (20 overs). India won by 19 runs.

India set a challenging total of 211 for 6 in the final. Opener Abhishek Sharma gave India a fast start with 61 off 28 balls. Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51 off 22 to keep the scoring rate high, and Shivam Dube added a quick 27 off 14 to lift India past the 200 mark.

Pakistan fought back, led by Hasan Nawaz's aggressive 96 off 51 balls. Despite that near-century, India's bowlers kept enough pressure in key phases: Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube each took two wickets to restrict the chase and secure the gold.

Rajeev Shukla highlighted three points when commenting after the win:

• Adaptability: Shukla said players were not very familiar with the wicket conditions in Japan but performed well despite that.
• Growth under the BCCI: He listed recent tournament successes and framed the Asian Games win as part of an ongoing expansion of Indian cricket's reach and results.
• Squad depth: With India playing parallel series, Shukla pointed to a larger "players' bank" that lets different squads compete across formats and events, creating more opportunities while maintaining winning results.

The men's gold follows the women's team winning theirs, giving India a cricket double at these Asian Games. Overall, India's medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games reached 83 medals: 20 gold, 26 silver and 37 bronze, according to the same report.

The match underlines two practical trends for Indian cricket: a growing pool of players capable of stepping in across formats and a willingness to expose that depth in multi-event schedules. The result also reinforces the importance of handling unfamiliar playing surfaces when teams travel overseas.

• A fast-opening stand and late slogging pushed India past 200, creating a defendable target in T20 conditions.
• Individual performances on both sides shaped the final—Abhishek Sharma's quick fifty and Hasan Nawaz's near-century stood out.
• India's bowlers operated in the middle overs to choke the chase, with three bowlers sharing six wickets.

Rajeev Shukla framed the gold as proof of Indian cricket's continued progress and the practical benefits of a larger, active player pool. On the field, a balanced batting display and disciplined bowling won the final for India, even as Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz produced a notable solo fightback.