India Clinches Men’s Cricket Gold at 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou
India, led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, secured the gold medal in men’s cricket at the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou.
Defending Champions Enter Asian Games 2026
As the reigning champions from 2023, India heads into the 2026 Asian Games, hosted across Aichi and Nagoya, carrying high expectations. Along with Pakistan, India received a direct entry into the quarterfinals. This advantage offers some relief but does not ensure success once knockout matches begin.
Tight Warm-Up Against Hosts Japan
India’s confidence faced a test during a warm-up match against Japan. In a rain-shortened five-over game, India managed only 32 runs with Shreyas Iyer top-scoring at 16. Japan came close to causing an upset but India narrowly won by two runs.
Path to the 2023 Gold Medal
In the 2023 tournament, India started from the quarterfinals and defeated Nepal by 23 runs to reach the semifinals. They then overpowered Bangladesh to book their place in the final. The championship match against Afghanistan did not reach completion due to persistent rain after Afghanistan reached 112 for 5 in 18.2 overs.
With no result possible, the organizers awarded the gold to India based on the tournament’s seeding rules, as India was the higher-ranked team. Afghanistan settled for silver for the third consecutive time in the men’s cricket finals at the Asian Games, while Bangladesh earned the bronze medal.
Medal Winners in Men’s Cricket at 2023 Asian Games
- Gold: India
- Silver: Afghanistan
- Bronze: Bangladesh
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Schedule and Group Results
- September 24 (Thursday), Group A: Afghanistan beat Japan by 48 runs
- September 24 (Thursday), Group B: Hong Kong China lost to Malaysia by eight wickets
- September 25 (Friday), Group B: Hong Kong China beat Oman by 41 runs
- September 25 (Friday), Group A: Afghanistan lost to Nepal by five wickets
- September 26 (Saturday), Group A: Japan vs Nepal (scheduled)
- September 26 (Saturday), Group B: Malaysia vs Oman (scheduled)
- September 28 (Monday), Quarter-finals: Pakistan vs B2; India vs A2
- September 29 (Tuesday), Quarter-finals: Sri Lanka vs A1; Bangladesh vs B1
- October 1 (Thursday), Semi-finals: Pakistan/B2 vs Bangladesh/B1; India/A2 vs Sri Lanka/A1
- October 3 (Saturday), Bronze Medal Match: Third-place play-off
