“A day of celebration…”: Malini Awasthi hails India’s Asian Games gold win over Pakistan

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 4 (ANI): Folk singer Malini Awasthi celebrated India’s gold medal win in men’s cricket at the Asian Games 2026, especially after the team defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.
Speaking about India’s victory, Awasthi called it a “day of celebration” and praised the entire team for its performance. She also congratulated Bihar cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was part of India’s gold-winning squad.
While speaking to media, Awasthi said, “India has won; it is a day of celebration, and the most delightful aspect is that the victory came after defeating Pakistan.
“Everyone played a role in this. I am currently standing on the soil of Patna, and Bihar’s own Vaibhav is part of this team; his talent has contributed to this success. I also congratulate his parents… We have performed exceptionally well in the games this time, so hearty congratulations to everyone,” she added. 
India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s T20 cricket final to retain the Asian Games gold medal. India posted 211/6 after Abhishek Sharma scored 61 runs off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls. Pakistan managed 192/6 in reply despite Hasan Nawaz’s 96 off 51 balls. 
The win also completed a gold-medal double for India in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games. The Indian women’s team had earlier defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s T20 final to retain their title. 
India’s overall medal tally climbed to 85, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. Around 500 Indian athletes competed for medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event officially began on September 19 and concluded on October 4.
The Asian Games featured 469 medal events across 43 sports and 71 disciplines. At Hangzhou 2023, the previous edition, India had fielded a 650-strong contingent and secured a record 106 medals — 28 gold, 38 silver and 40 bronze — to finish fourth in the overall standings. (ANI)