Indian contingent finished the Asian Games 2026 campaign in fourth place with 21 Gold Medals out of the 85 they won. India’s men’s cricket team also contributed to the gold tally. They defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at the Korogi Sports Park.
Sanju Samson scored just nine runs in two games. The 31-year-old said that India weren’t given the gold medal on a platter and had to work hard to earn it.
“We had an experienced team. We know how to manage our energy and keep ourselves motivated even when the practice sessions or matches weren’t taking place,” Samson said.
“Bringing our full-strength squad helped, and that was visible in the final against Pakistan. Finally, we got to play a good game, scored over 200 in the first innings and felt that Pakistan could have issues in the second innings, but the wicket played well. They batted well, and everyone saw a good game. We didn’t get the gold medal on a platter and had to work hard for it, which makes it a satisfying effort.”
Worrying signs for Indian team ahead of West Indies series
The current T20 World Cup winners don’t have time to celebrate their Asian Games win. They are scheduled to play West Indies in a five-match T20I series starting on Tuesday at the Ekana Stadium.
Samson’s form will be one of the topics after the right-handed batter posted single-digit scores in the Asian Games. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was also seen struggling.
Abhishek Sharma silenced his critics with a knock of 61 off 28 balls against Pakistan. The southpaw, who is ranked number two, gave India a great start as he went after the bowlers in the powerplay overs.
Shreyas Iyer’s form will also be looked at closely, with the 31-year-old not in form. During the recent tour of Japan, the batter scored just 50 runs from three games at a strike rate of 102.