Cricket is quite popular in the Indian subcontinent. It’s so huge that fans almost treat it as a religion!
So when teams from this region face each other, it’s nothing short of a battleground. While the Asian cricket teams compete in the Asia Cup every two years, they also play in the Asian Games for the gold medal.
So here’s a look at the gold medal winners in the Asian Games men’s cricket competition.
Asian Games Men’s Cricket Medal Winners
| Edition | Gold Medal | Silver Medal | Bronze Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou 2010 | Bangladesh | Afghanistan | Pakistan |
| Incheon 2014 | Sri Lanka | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
| Hangzhou 2023 | India | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
| Aichi-Nagoya 2026 | India | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
2010 | Bangladesh
Asian Games started back in 1951. But it was only in 2010 that cricket made its debut in the continental games.
Nine teams featured in the tournament, with the notable exception of India. Notably, the matches didn’t carry an official T20I status.
Of the nine teams, Afghanistan and Bangladesh squared off in the gold medal match. It was a low-scoring thriller in China’s Guangzhou.
After electing to bat first, Afghanistan managed to score 118 for 8. The target wasn’t big, although Bangladesh were cautious in their chase, going past the target in 19.3 overs to win the gold medal.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan, meanwhile, played in the bronze medal match, with Pakistan winning it by six wickets.
2014 | Sri Lanka
Afghanistan once again stormed into the Asian Games final in 2014. This time, they were up against Sri Lanka.
Led by Mohammad Nabi’s 4 for 18, Afghan bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 133. The target wasn’t big, so the Afghans fancied their chances.
But the Afghan batters couldn’t stand the test of Sri Lankan bowlers, getting bowled out for 66 runs.
In the bronze medal match, Bangladesh overpowered Hong Kong to win by 27 runs.
2023 | India
After a gap of almost a decade, cricket returned to the Asian Games. The ICC also awarded T20I status to all matches.
This time around, India made their debut. And they looked favourites right from the start.
First, India beat Nepal in the quarter-final and then Bangladesh in the semi-final to set up the gold medal match against Afghanistan.
The final, however, was cut short by rain. Since India didn’t get a chance to bat, the match ended with no result. But since India were the higher-ranked side, they claimed the gold medal in 2023.
The bronze medal match also faced rain interruption, though a five-over shootout took place, which Bangladesh won through the DLS method.
2026 | India
India, fresh off their T20 World Cup win, were once again the favourites. As expected, India qualified for the final.
But this time, they were up against arch-rivals Pakistan. An India-Pakistan match is a treat for fans. And if they meet in a final, then it’s a double delight.
On a challenging pitch, India piled up 211 for 8, thanks to Abhishek Sharma’s 61 and Tilak Varma’s 51*.
It was a massive total to chase. But Hasan Nawaz’s 96 alone kept Pakistan in the chase.
Pakistan, however, lost the plot in the last three overs and lost by 19 runs. As a result, India successfully defended their gold medal.
The bronze medal match put Sri Lanka up against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka first scored 165 for 9 before bowling out Bangladesh for 102 runs.
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