IND vs PAK: Mohsin Naqvi OUT of Today’s Final, India-Pakistan Clash Without His Presence

New Delhi: The match between India and Pakistan for the men's cricket gold medal in the Asian Games 2026 will be played on October 3. The ongoing suspense regarding the presence of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi before the final has also ended. ACC has confirmed that Naqvi will not be present on the final day due to prior commitments.

Will Mohsin Naqvi be present in the final?

ACC has informed that Mohsin Naqvi will not be present on the final day. According to the organisation, due to pre-scheduled programmes, he will not be able to attend the India-Pakistan gold medal match. Naqvi has also congratulated the four teams playing for gold and bronze medals.

When will the match between India and Pakistan take place?

The gold medal match between India and Pakistan will be played on Saturday, October 3 at Koroki Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The match is scheduled to start at 10 am Indian time. This is the first gold medal match of men's cricket between India and Pakistan in the Asian Games.

Why did Mohsin Naqvi's absence become a topic of discussion?

Mohsin Naqvi's presence was also discussed because recently there was a controversy regarding trophy presentation in Asia Cup matches. In the 2025 Men's Asia Cup and 2026 Women's Asia Cup, the Indian teams had refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. In such a situation, questions were being raised about his possible presence in the India-Pakistan final. Now ACC has confirmed his absence.

How did India defeat Sri Lanka in the semi-finals?

India defeated Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-finals and made it to the final. Batting first, the Indian team scored 169/7 runs in 20 overs. Ishan Kishan played a brilliant inning of 80 runs, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi gave a fast start by scoring 38 runs in 21 balls. After this, the Indian bowlers reduced Sri Lanka's innings to 45 runs.

How did Pakistan make it to the semi-finals?

Pakistan's semi-final match was against Bangladesh, but due to rain the match was reduced to 13 overs each. Bangladesh scored 111/7. In reply, Pakistan achieved the target by losing 6 wickets in 11.3 overs and reached the final.

Why is this head-to-head match for the gold medal so special?

India is the defending champion of men's cricket in the Asian Games. The team won the gold medal in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Now the Indian team has a chance to win the gold medal for the second consecutive time. Whereas Pakistan is searching for its first gold medal in men's cricket in the Asian Games.

The Indian team includes players like Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The command of Pakistan is in the hands of Sahibzada Farhan. Now both the teams will face each other for the gold medal.