Trending searches · 2026-10-01
Pak vs Ban Asian Games Semi-Final: Samad's 30* Sends Pakistan to Cricket Final
This post was compiled with AI. We checked it against the original articles and announcements, but please confirm details in the linked sources. Trending on Google Trends (AU, pak vs ban) 20,000+ · (CA, asian games men) 20,000+ · (KR, bangladesh vs pakistan) 200+; sources collected 2026-10-01 14:10 (KST).
In one line
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in the first semi-final of the Asian Games men's cricket competition at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Chasing 112 in a match cut to 13 overs a side, Pakistan reached 112-4 in 11.3 overs and moved into the gold-medal match.
Why people are searching
Google Trends listed "pak vs ban" at 20,000+ searches in Australia and "asian games men" at 20,000+ in Canada, and "bangladesh vs pakistan" also appeared in South Korea at 200+. The news items attached to these terms were the ESPNcricinfo scorecard and match report ("Samad special books Pakistan's spot in gold-medal clash") and Dawn's report on Pakistan reaching the final. The spike appears to line up with the match itself, played on the same day as the second semi-final between India and Sri Lanka.
The match at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Asian Games men's cricket, 1st semi-final |
| Venue | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan |
| Date | Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Format | Reduced to 13 overs a side |
| Toss | Pakistan won and chose to field |
| Bangladesh | 111-7 (13 overs) |
| Pakistan | 112-4 (11.3 overs) |
| Result | Pakistan won by 6 wickets, 9 balls to spare |
How it played out
Bangladesh were sent in and slipped to 45-4. Towhid Hridoy led the recovery with 42 off 25 balls, including four sixes, and shared a fifth-wicket stand with Mosaddek Hossain. Left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim was Pakistan's best bowler with 3-26 from three overs, Arafat Minhas took 2-23, and Saim Ayub gave away just three runs in two overs for one wicket.
Pakistan's chase started badly. Captain Sahibzada Farhan fell for one in the first over, and the side were 53-4 in the seventh over. Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz then added an unbeaten 59 for the fifth wicket. Samad finished on 30 not out from 15 balls with five fours and a six, and Nawaz made 27 not out from 22 balls. The 10th over, bowled by Mustafizur Rahman, went for 23 runs and took Pakistan from 76-4 to 99-4. Samad scored 22 of them from five balls.
What comes next
Pakistan will play the winner of India vs Sri Lanka, the second semi-final, in the gold-medal match on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Korogi Sports Park. Bangladesh go into the bronze-medal match.
What we could not confirm
- How long play was delayed: Reports put the 13-over cut down to a wet outfield after rain, but we could not confirm how long the start was held up.
- The final's opponent: India vs Sri Lanka was still in progress when we checked, so Pakistan's opponent was not yet known.
- Start time of the final: Sources we checked gave different start times, so we left it out.
Sources
- ESPN, Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 1st Semi-Final, Asian Games Men's Cricket Competition 2026 full scorecard https://www.espn.com/cricket/series/22547/scorecard/1552776/bangladesh-vs-pakistan-1st-semi-final-asian-games-mens-cricket-competition-2026
- Dawn, Pakistan reach Asian Games cricket final after six-wicket win over Bangladesh https://www.dawn.com/news/2033925/pakistan-reach-asian-games-cricket-final-after-six-wicket-win-over-bangladesh