Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 helps India defend Asian Games gold

Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls as India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to retain the Asian Games men's cricket gold medal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Sunday. Varma and Shivam Dube added 62 runs in the final five overs after Abhishek Sharma's 61 off 28 had given India a strong platform.

India posted 211 for six after batting first. Pakistan's Ahmed Daniyal and Arafat Minhas took two wickets each. Jasprit Bumrah's opening burst removed three Pakistan batters for 39 runs, leaving the chase on the back foot despite resistance from Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub.

India had beaten Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-final. Pakistan advanced with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in a rain-shortened semi-final. The final was the first meeting between the two sides in the Asian Games cricket event.