Asian Games 2026: Abdul Samad Blitz Fires Pakistan Past Bangladesh Into Gold-Medal Match

Pakistan secured their spot in the 2026 Asian Games men's cricket gold-medal match after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-reduced semi-final at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Rain-Truncated Match: Rain delayed the start of the semi-final, forcing the match to be shortened to 13 overs per side. Bangladesh's First-Innings Effort (111/7): Asked to bat first, Bangladesh posted 111/7 in their 13 overs. Towhid Hridoy top-scored with a quickfire 42 off 25 balls (2 fours, 4 sixes).

Spin Duo Strikes: Left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim led the bowling attack for Pakistan with 3/26, supported by Arafat Minhas (2/23) and Saim Ayub (1/3 in 2 overs). Early Stumble in the Chase: Chasing 112, Pakistan lost skipper Sahibzada Farhan early for 1. Despite rapid cameos from Saim Ayub (21 off 12) and debutant Maaz Sadaqat (15 off 7), Pakistan slid to 53/4 inside seven overs.

Samad & Hasan Match-Winning Stand: Vice-captain Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz steadied the innings with an unbeaten 59-run partnership: Abdul Samad struck a blistering 30 off 15 balls* (5 fours, 1 six).Hasan Nawaz provided solid support with an unbeaten 27 off 22 balls* (2 fours, 2 sixes) to seal the win.

Guaranteed Medal: The victory guarantees Pakistan their first Asian Games men's cricket medal since winning bronze in 2010. Brief ScoresBangladesh: 111/7 in 13 overs (Towhid Hridoy 42, Saif Hassan 19; Sufyan Moqim 3/26, Arafat Minhas 2/23) Pakistan: 112/4 in 11.2 overs (Abdul Samad 30*, Hasan Nawaz 27*, Saim Ayub 21) Result: Pakistan won by 6 wickets (Advance to Gold-Medal Match)