- Pakistan seek gold against arch-rivals India.
- Arch-rivals have faced each other 17 times.
- India lead Pakistan 13-3 in T20Is.
India won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the Asian Games cricket final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.
Pakistan made one change to their playing XI, with all-rounder Saad Masood replacing fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr.
The captains of Pakistan and India did not shake hands before the start of the gold-medal clash.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhas, Ahmed Daniyal, Mohammad Wasim, Sufyan Moqim and Abrar Ahmed.
India: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi and Jasprit Bumrah.
Head-to-head
The highly anticipated gold-medal clash marks the first-ever meeting between India and Pakistan in men’s cricket at the Asian Games.
Overall, the arch-rivals have faced each other 17 times in T20Is, with India holding the advantage with 13 wins. Pakistan have won three matches, while one encounter ended in a tie.
- Matches played: 17
- India won: 13
- Pakistan won: 3
- Tied: 1
Form guide
India head into the final with a strong recent record against Pakistan, having won their last five encounters. They will aim to maintain their momentum and claim the gold medal in the Asian Games final.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will be looking to turn the tide and produce a strong response against their arch-rivals. Despite entering the contest as the underdogs, Pakistan possess several promising young players, including Maaz Sadaqat and Ali Raza, who have the ability to make an impact with their aggressive style of play.
India: W, A, W, W, W (most recent first)
Pakistan: W, A, W, L, NR