Asian Games final: Pakistan struggle to 39-2 in powerplay after India post 211

Pakistan faced a challenging start in their chase of 212 against India in the men's cricket final at the 2026 Asian Games. After six overs, they were at 39 for two runs, with India's bowlers and a slow pitch limiting their scoring. Maaz Sadaqat was the only significant resistance, scoring 23 runs off 17 balls, including three fours.

However, Pakistan lost captain Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Khan as the required run rate increased to 12.35 an over. Farhan was out to Washington Sundar in the fourth over, caught by Axar Patel, while Usman followed in the next over, caught by Shivam Dube. Maaz persevered through several tricky moments early in his innings, but he struggled to score boundaries as India tightened their defense.

Hasan Nawaz remained unbeaten on one run from four balls at the end of the powerplay, with Pakistan needing an additional 173 runs from 84 deliveries. Earlier in the match, India's Tilak Varma and Hasan Nawaz had combined to post a 62-run stand for the sixth wicket, bringing India's total to 211 for six. India had earlier been propelled by Abhishek Sharma's 61 off 28 balls, including seven sixes.

Pakistan fought back through the middle overs, but Varma and Dube restored India's momentum with an aggressive finish. They scored 46 runs in the last three overs, leaving Pakistan with a daunting target of 173 runs from 84 balls. Hasan Nawaz and Maaz were still at the crease, facing a difficult task to chase down the total.