AIMIM leader and national spokesperson Waris Pathan gave warm congratulations after India’s men’s cricket team clinched gold at the Asian Games 2026. Speaking to ANI, the Mumbai-based politician described the win as a special moment for the entire country. His comments were made shortly after Shreyas Iyer’s side defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Korogi Athletic Park in Japan. India had already secured the women’s cricket gold earlier in the Games by beating Sri Lanka. The men’s victory completed a clean sweep of the cricket events and added another gold to the country’s medal tally.
“It is a moment of immense joy; our hearts are swelling with pride, Chak De India! India has won the gold medal, and the gold is coming home. The atmosphere was already joyful, but the happiness is even greater when India defeats Pakistan to win,” Pathan said.
Waris Pathan’s reaction reflected the widespread satisfaction that the team had not only retained the title won in Hangzhou but had done so against their biggest rivals. India finished the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals overall, including 21 golds.
India beats Pakistan to seal Gold
India successfully defended their Asian Games men’s cricket title with a 19-run victory over Pakistan in the final of Asian Games 2026. Batting first, the defending champions posted 211 for 6, on the back of Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off just 22 deliveries. Shivam Dube also chipped in with a useful cameo.
Pakistan were chasing 212 and were in the hunt thanks to Hasan Nawaz’s brilliant 96 off 51 balls. Regular breakthroughs from Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Dube meant they finished on 192 for 6. The win marked India’s second successive Asian Games gold in men’s cricket and completed a golden double after the women’s team had earlier triumphed. It also extended India’s strong recent record against Pakistan in T20 cricket.
