Pakistan and India will face each other for the first time in the Asian Games men’s cricket final on Saturday, October 3, at Kurogi Sports Park in Nishin. India secured their place in the final by defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in Thursday’s semi-final, while Pakistan advanced after beating Bangladesh in a rain-affected semi-final.
India will aim to defend the gold medal they won at the 2022 Asian Games, while Pakistan will be looking to claim its first-ever gold medal in men’s cricket at the continental event. According to reports, no reserve day has been scheduled for the final in case of rain. If the match is abandoned, both teams are likely to be awarded joint gold medals.
Sahibzada Farhan is expected to play a key role for Pakistan in Saturday’s Asian Games final against India. The Pakistan captain has fond memories of facing India, having produced three strong performances against them in the T20 Asia Cup last year.
Farhan scored 57, 58 and 40 in Pakistan’s three matches against India during the tournament. Although Pakistan lost all three encounters, his performances at the top of the order provided stability as wickets fell around him.
Pakistan will once again look to their captain for a significant contribution against their arch-rivals in the gold-medal match. For India, Sanju Samson will be eager to make an impact against Pakistan. Interestingly, Pakistan are the only opposition against whom Samson has a career strike rate of below 100, although he has faced them only twice, both during the same Asia Cup.
Samson also endured a disappointing semi-final, scoring just seven runs before being bowled while attempting to move away from the ball. He may also find himself batting outside his preferred position in Saturday’s final. He featured in the middle order during the Asia Cup and batted at No. 3 in Thursday’s semi-final, making his role in the final another point of interest.