India's men's cricket team secured the gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final held at Korogi Athletic Park, Nisshin,
Japan, on October 3, 2026. The victory marked India's successful defence of their Asian Games cricket title, having previously won gold at Hangzhou 2023. India posted 211 for 6 in their innings, with Abhishek Sharmascoring 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma remaining unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls. Shivam Dube contributed 27 off 15 balls to the total.
Pakistan's chase fell short as they were restricted to 192 for 6 despite Hasan Nawaz scoring 96 off 51 balls. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Dube took two wickets apiece in India's bowling effort. The gold medal victory came after India's women's cricket team had also won gold at the same Games, creating a historic double for Indian cricket at the Asian Games. Dube's all-round contribution with both bat and ball had been instrumental in India's path to the final.
Dube's reflection on the historic gold medal
The magnitude of representing the nation at the Asian Games weighed heavily on Dube's mind as he processed the victory. The all-rounder's emotional reflection underscored the significance of winning gold for India, transcending the individual performance metrics and touching upon the deeper responsibility of playing for one's country.
"This feeling is hard to put into words because we've won gold for the country. I feel this is a huge achievement for us; winning gold and making the nation proud, it’s something that transcends words. It comes from deep within the heart. All Indians know this, and hopefully, they will feel proud of us too... The BCCI supports us, and I feel that the support we receive from them enables us to perform much better in everything we do for the country," Dube was quoted as saying by The Tribune.
The achievement represented not only a personal milestone but also a collective triumph for Indian cricket on the continental stage. The historic double in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games underscoredIndia's dominance in the sport and the nation's commitment to excellence across all formats and competitions.
