Sanju Samson credited India’s determination and resilience after the men’s cricket team successfully defended their gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, acknowledging the hard-fought nature of their triumph.
India retained their Asian Games gold medal with a commanding 19-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. Having defeated Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-finals, India posted a competitive 211/6 after choosing to bat first.
Abhishek Sharma anchored the innings with a explosive 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma sealed the contest with a devastating 51 off just 22 deliveries. Samson, batting at No. 3, contributed only two runs from four balls before being dismissed by Ahmed Daniyal, but remained influential behind the stumps by completing the crucial catch that dismissed Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz for 96 off 51 balls in the final over, effectively sealing India’s victory.
Pakistan finished on 192/6 despite Nawaz’s spirited counter-attack, ensuring India celebrated their second consecutive men’s cricket gold at the Asian Games.
Reflecting on the triumph, Samson emphasized the team’s perseverance and noted the contrasting conditions across India’s matches in the tournament.
“It’s a great feeling. We’ve only played two matches, and the conditions were different in both. The final was really tight. They played very well. It feels like we had to work really hard to win the gold,” Samson said after the match.
The wicketkeeper-batter acknowledged the intense pressure of a high-stakes final against Pakistan, particularly in a high-scoring contest where both teams had opportunities to seize control.
“It’s a game, so it could have gone either way. They also came here to play well. It was a good wicket, and nearly 400 runs were scored. We didn’t expect the game to turn out like that. But our bowlers bowled really well,” he added.
For Samson, the gold medal marked a fulfilling conclusion to the tournament, and he expressed contentment without setting immediate future targets. The Kerala-born player will soon join the upcoming T20I series against West Indies.
“I don’t have any big ambitions right now. I’m happy with what I’ve achieved, and I’m going back home happily. This is my first time in Japan. It’s a great country with really nice people and a good system. We enjoyed ourselves a lot. I feel there is good scope for cricket here. If there are a few more facilities, I think cricket can really grow here,” he concluded.
