India Set Up Asian Games Final Against Pakistan After Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah Help Crush Sri Lanka

India booked their place in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket final with a commanding 124-run victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday, setting up a highly anticipated gold-medal clash against Pakistan.

A full-strength Indian side dominated the semifinal from the beginning, with both the batting and bowling units delivering a comprehensive performance. India posted a strong total before their bowlers dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order, dismissing them for just 45 runs.

Ishan Kishan was the standout performer for India with an unbeaten 80-run knock. His innings provided the foundation for India's imposing total and helped the team maintain pressure on Sri Lanka throughout the match.

India's bowlers then completed the job in emphatic fashion. Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma claimed two wickets each as Sri Lanka struggled to build partnerships and eventually folded for 45.

The result gave India a 124-run victory and secured their place in the gold-medal match. The margin was also reported as the biggest ever in a semifinal or final of a men's T20I tournament involving two full-member teams.

India's victory also helped them create another statistical landmark. They became the team with the most wins by margins of 100 runs or more in men's T20Is, reaching the mark for the 11th time.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had secured the other spot in the final after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-affected semifinal.

The first semifinal was reduced to 13 overs per side because of the weather. Pakistan, led by Sahibzada Farhan, successfully chased Bangladesh's target of 112 with nine balls remaining to seal their place in the final.

The India-Sri Lanka semifinal also saw young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi receive an opportunity in the playing XI. He opened the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Sanju Samson moved to the No. 3 position.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first. Their bowlers made an early impact by dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson for seven runs each.

However, India recovered strongly as their middle-order batters consolidated the innings. Kishan played an important role in maintaining the scoring rate and eventually finished unbeaten on 80.

India's strong batting effort gave their bowlers a substantial target to defend. Bumrah and the rest of the attack then made full use of the opportunity, putting Sri Lanka under immediate pressure.

The Sri Lankan batting line-up failed to respond as wickets fell at regular intervals. Bumrah, Axar and Abhishek led the bowling effort, taking two wickets apiece and helping India complete a convincing semifinal victory.

With the win, India now move into the Asian Games gold-medal match, where they will face Pakistan. The final will bring together the two teams after both successfully negotiated their respective semifinals.

The final will therefore decide the gold medal in the men's cricket competition, with India entering the match after a dominant semifinal performance against Sri Lanka and Pakistan coming through their rain-shortened encounter against Bangladesh.