Indian cricket icon and captain of the 1983 ODI World Cup-winning team, Kapil Dev, extended his congratulations to Team India after they secured a 19-run victory against Pakistan, winning the gold medal in men’s cricket at the Asian Games on Saturday.
In an interview with ANI following the match, Kapil expressed his unwavering belief in the Indian team’s capabilities and commended their performance.
“We know our team is much better. We are playing better, and congratulations. I think, all the best, good luck. And I know they are doing well and I have no doubt about that,”
Kapil Dev remarked.
With this victory, India made history by achieving a double gold in cricket at the Asian Games. The men’s team followed the women’s team’s earlier success, who defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to win gold, marking India’s 19th gold medal overall. This victory also contributed to India’s impressive medal tally of 81 at the Asian Games, which includes 26 silver and 36 bronze medals.
During the match, India set a target of 212 runs. Despite a shaky start, Jasprit Bumrah struggled initially, conceding 11 runs in the first over, and bowled two no-balls. However, the Indian bowlers quickly regained control; Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were instrumental in Pakistan’s collapse, restricting them to 192 runs in their chase.
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz played a remarkable innings, scoring 96 off 51 balls, but fell short as India held on to their total. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar were standout bowlers for India, each delivering tight spells that helped secure the victory.
Earlier, India had a strong batting performance, with Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma both scoring quick half-centuries, leading the team to a total of 211/6 in their innings. Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 61 runs came off just 28 balls, while Varma finished unbeaten on 51 from 22 balls, helping India cement their position as cricketing champions at the Asian Games.
In summary, India triumphed with scores of 211/6 (Abhishek Sharma 61, Tilak Varma 51*) defeating Pakistan at 192/6 (Hasan Nawaz 96, Saim Ayub 29, Axar Patel 2/29).
