Pakistan all-rounder Saim Ayub provided one of the early talking points in the Asian Games 2026 final after dismissing India’s teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Ayub removed Sooryavanshi in the third over before celebrating with a baby cradle gesture towards the 15-year-old Indian batter. The moment added further intensity to the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash.
India won the toss and elected to bat first on Saturday, October 3. The Indian team retained the same XI that defeated Sri Lanka in the semi-final, while Pakistan made one change, bringing Saad Masood into the playing XI in place of Mohammad Wasim Jr. The two captains also did not shake hands before the match.
Pakistan struck in the third over when Ayub dismissed Sooryavanshi for 15 off nine deliveries. The young opener attempted a reverse sweep against a delivery that turned and bounced outside off, with the ball brushing his glove.
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Wicketkeeper Usman Khan completed the catch, although it was far from straightforward. He initially failed to hold on, with the ball popping up off his chest before he juggled it twice and eventually secured it.
Sooryavanshi had made an aggressive start, hitting two sixes during his brief stay at the crease, but Pakistan prevented him from turning that beginning into a substantial score.
Sooryavanshi gone for 15, and Saim Ayub hits back with the Baby celebration 😭😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/r2xAfnwZeM
— Mian Ahmad (@MianAhmad_56) October 3, 2026
India, however, continued their attacking approach despite the ball occasionally holding up on the surface. After conceding only four runs in the opening over, Pakistan were put under pressure when debutant Saad Masood was introduced.
Masood endured a costly first over, conceding 24 runs as India’s batters attacked him from the outset. The expensive over surpassed Saeed Ajmal’s previous record of 22 runs conceded in an India-Pakistan T20I in Ahmedabad in 2012, when Yuvraj Singh hit three successive sixes.
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India reached 43 runs after three overs despite losing a wicket. Ahmed Daniyal then dismissed Sanju Samson for 11, with Samson mistiming a short-of-length delivery towards mid-on, where Arafat Minhas completed the catch.
Despite the setback, India recorded their fastest T20I team fifty against Pakistan, reaching the milestone in just 3.2 overs. Pakistan also missed two chances in the fifth over when Ayub dropped catches offered by Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer.
