India completed a memorable campaign at the Asian Games 2026 by retaining the men’s cricket gold medal. The Shreyas Iyer-led side defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in a high-scoring final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with India posting 211/6 before restricting Pakistan to 192/6.
India’s batting campaign featured contributions from several players, but three batters stood out across the semi-final and final. Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma finished as India’s leading run-getters in the two matches that determined the medal positions.
Here are top 3 run-getters for India from Asian Games 2026:
1. Ishan Kishan – 100 runs
Ishan Kishan finished as India’s leading run-scorer in the men’s Asian Games campaign, accumulating 100 runs across the semi-final and final.
The wicketkeeper-batter produced India’s most important individual innings in the semi-final against Sri Lanka. With India struggling at 75/4 at one stage, Kishan took responsibility and remained unbeaten on 80 off 46 balls. His innings included four fours and five sixes, helping India reach 169/7 from their 20 overs.
Kishan’s knock proved particularly important because the Indian top order had struggled to establish a substantial partnership. His ability to attack the Sri Lankan bowlers in the latter stages ensured India finished with a competitive total before their bowlers dismantled the opposition for just 45.
The left-hander then contributed another 20 runs off 18 balls in the gold-medal match against Pakistan. Although he did not replicate his semi-final heroics, his 100-run aggregate made him India’s leading run-getter in the tournament’s decisive matches.
His performance also came with a notable milestone. Kishan crossed 1,000 T20I runs in the calendar year during the final, becoming only the second Indian batter to achieve the feat in a year after Suryakumar Yadav.
2. Abhishek Sharma – 68 runs
Abhishek Sharma finished second among India’s run-getters with 68 runs across the semi-final and final.
His campaign began with a brief seven-run appearance against Sri Lanka, as Sahan Arachchige dismissed him in the opening over. Despite his early departure, India recovered through contributions from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Kishan before posting 169/7.
Abhishek produced a completely different performance in the final against Pakistan.
Opening the innings alongside Sooryavanshi, the left-hander launched an aggressive assault on the Pakistani bowling attack. He reached his half-century from just 20 balls and eventually scored 61 off 28 deliveries, smashing three fours and seven sixes.
His explosive innings gave India a rapid start after the early dismissal of Sooryavanshi and helped the team reach 81/2 during the powerplay. Abhishek was eventually dismissed for 61 by Arafat Minhas, but by then he had already provided India with the momentum required to post a massive total.
His 61 also represented the highest individual score by an Indian batter in the final, and his strike rate of more than 217 highlighted the attacking approach that defined his innings.
3. Tilak Varma – 53 runs
Tilak Varma completed India’s top three run-getters with 53 runs.
The left-hander had a quiet semi-final, scoring only two runs against Sri Lanka. He was dismissed by Nuwanidu Fernando as India lost their seventh wicket with the score at 155.
However, Tilak saved his biggest contribution for the gold-medal match.
Coming into bat after India had lost Ishan Kishan, Tilak initially had to rebuild alongside Shivam Dube. Once settled, however, he switched gears spectacularly during the final overs.
Tilak remained unbeaten on 51 off only 22 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes. He reached his half-century from just 21 deliveries and finished the innings by taking India beyond the 200-run mark.
His unbeaten knock ensured India finished with 211/6, the highest total of the Asian Games men’s cricket tournament. It also provided the finishing surge that complemented Abhishek’s explosive start.
India’s leading run-getters in the decisive matches
Player | Runs | Best score |
Ishan Kishan | 100 | 80* |
Abhishek Sharma | 68 | 61 |
Tilak Varma | 53 | 51* |
The three batters played different roles during India’s successful campaign. Kishan provided stability and acceleration in the semi-final, Abhishek produced an explosive powerplay assault in the final, while Tilak delivered a high-impact finish to take India beyond 200.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.