India have won the men’s T20 cricket gold medal at the Asian Games, beating Pakistan by 19 runs in the final in Japan.

India posted an imposing 211-6 from 20 overs, with Abhishek Sharma leading the charge with a blistering 61 off 28 balls.

Abhishek struck seven sixes and three fours, while Tilak Varma added an unbeaten 51 from just 22 deliveries. Shivam Dube also contributed 27 off 15 balls as India finished strongly.

Pakistan struggled early in their chase, falling to 39-3, before Hasan Nawaz launched a counterattack with 96 from 51 balls.

However, Pakistan could only reach 192-6, leaving India to secure a 19-run victory and another Asian Games gold medal.

The result marked India’s seventh consecutive T20 victory over Pakistan, extending their dominance in the format. India have now won 14 of the 18 T20 meetings between the two sides.

India had previously won gold when cricket returned to the Asian Games in China in 2022, making this their second consecutive men’s T20 gold medal.

The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, conclude on Sunday, October 4, bringing 16 days of competition to a close.

The Games officially ran from September 19 to October 4, with the closing ceremony taking place in Nagoya on the final day.

The next edition of the Asian Games is scheduled to be held in Qatar in 2030.

India says a fugitive drug-trafficking kingpin accused of smuggling heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into India has been deported from Turkey and brought back to the country.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that Navpreet Singh, also known as “Nav,” was deported from Turkey after Indian authorities tracked him down.

Shah said Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship using the fake identity “Navab Virk” and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan to India.

The 34-year-old, a native of Punjab, had been wanted in several narcotics cases and was on the run for more than two years. Indian authorities allege that he headed an international narcotics syndicate whose operations in India were managed by his cousin, Prabhdeep Singh.

Prabhdeep Singh, also known as “Harry,” was extradited from Azerbaijan to India in May in connection with a case involving the seizure of 358 kilograms of heroin in 2021.

India submitted its request for Navpreet Singh’s extradition to Turkish authorities in 2023-24, according to officials familiar with the case.

Shah described Singh’s deportation as a “historic milestone” and said the Indian government was committed to dismantling drug-trafficking networks.

The Indian Home Ministry says 288 fugitives from 36 countries have been brought back to India between 2019 and August 2026 as part of efforts to pursue wanted criminals abroad.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) and Tajikistan-based Pamir Energy Company have signed a cooperation agreement to provide electricity to border districts of Badakhshan province.

The agreement was signed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, by Abdul Haq Hamkar, Chief Executive Officer of DABS, and Amir Khan Rahim, President of Pamir Energy.

The agreement is aimed at expanding cooperation, improving electricity supply and creating the necessary conditions for providing power services to residents of Badakhshan’s border districts.

On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, the two sides also discussed extending a 110-kilovolt power transmission line to Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan.

Hamkar emphasized the importance of the project in strengthening the province’s electricity infrastructure.

Pamir Energy said it would share relevant proposals with DABS following technical assessments.