Indo-Pak blockbuster on the menu as Nawaz, Samad flay Bangladesh

Cameos from Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad lifted Pakistan to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Asian Games 2026 semifinal clash at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. In a match pruned down to 13 overs per side due to a wet outfield, Pakistan were trembling at 53/4 in pursuit of 112, but Nawaz (30* off 15) and Samad (27* off 22) steered them home with nine balls to spare. The result took Pakistan to the final of the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games for the very first time.

Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers struck regularly and predominantly bowled spin to cater to the demands of the surface after opting to field first. Towhid Hridoy swung momentum Bangladesh’s way with a 25-ball 42, but the batting didn’t click as a unit leading to an ordinary total.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 111/7 in 13 overs (Towhid Hridoy 42, Saif Hassan 19; Sufyan Moqim 3-26, Arafat Minhas 2-23) lost to Pakistan 112/4 in 11.3 overs (Abdul Samad 30*, Hasan Nawaz 27*, Saim Ayub 21; Rishad Hossain 1-12) by 6 wickets