Pakistan secured a historic spot in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final after a hard-fought six-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Facing a target of 112 in a match restricted to 13 overs due to a wet outfield, Pakistan overcame a fragile start to reach 112/4 with nine deliveries remaining.
Bangladesh set a total of 111/7, anchored by a brisk 25-ball 42 from Towhid Hridoy and 19 runs from Saif Hassan. Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Sufyan Moqim who claimed 3-26, and Arafat Minhas with 2-23, kept the pressure high despite conceding 15 wides throughout the innings. Early breakthroughs included Saim Ayub dismissing Litton Das with a carrom ball, while Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon were removed by the spin-heavy bowling unit. Before more frustration for the bowling side saw an inside edge evade a diving Litton Das behind the stumps, the right-hander dispatched a slot delivery over the long-on fence.
The Pakistan run chase began poorly, with the team sliding to 53/4. Captain Sahibzada Farhan fell in the opening over, and the explosive Maaz Sadaqat was dismissed for a seven-ball 15 after a brief flurry of boundaries. Although Saim Ayub struck two sixes and a four off Mustafizur Rahman, he was caught at deep mid-wicket shortly after. The spin of Rishad Hossain further complicated matters for Pakistan, as he maintained a tight spell and dismissed Usman Khan to heighten the pressure. Maaz Sadaqat, who made heads turn in the recent Caribbean Premier League season, got off to a flyer and struck a six and a four in the second, but departed in the same over as his innings was cut to a seven-ball 15. The surface had enough purchase on offer for the spinners and Rishad Hossain made full use of it. Leaving Pakistan in a spot of bother once he dismissed Usman Khan and sent the asking rate up, he beat the bat consistently and proved unplayable. Smashing a couple of meaty blows off Nasum Ahmed before Samad took matters into his hands, nawaz got to work though. Dishing out too many freebies that Samad laid into, mustafizur then came in for some severe punishment.
The momentum shifted when Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad partnered for a match-winning stand. Nawaz, finishing unbeaten on 30 off 15 balls, and Samad, who stayed not out with 27 off 22, aggressively attacked the Bangladesh bowling in the closing overs. Samad notably punished Mustafizur in a 23-run over, while his deft lapping of Shoriful Islam proved pivotal in reducing the equation to 36 off the final four overs. Bringing the equation down to 36 off the last four overs, he ruined a tight Shoriful Islam over by lapping him to the fine leg fence. Picking up three more fours to cap off a 23-run over that shut the door on Bangladesh, samad remained unfazed though.
Ultimately, Pakistan’s controlled aggression saw them overhaul the target with relative ease by the 12th over. While Rishad Hossain was the standout for Bangladesh with figures of 1-12, his late introduction to the attack proved costly for his side. This result marks the first time Pakistan has advanced to the gold medal match in the Asian Games cricket tournament.
