‘Like us at Asia Cup’: Pakistan will put India ‘under pressure’ at Asian Games, says Mike Hesson

Tilak Varma plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo) Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson admitted on Wednesday that his side still have some catching up to do if they want to challenge India at the Asian Games.India’s men’s team has won back-to-back T20 World Cups and will also be defending their title at the Asian Games in Japan.Since Hesson took charge in May last year, Pakistan have lost to India three times in the 2025 Asia Cup and once in this year’s World Twenty20.“India are the benchmark in white-ball cricket at the moment and our challenge is to catch up,” Hesson said in Karachi before Pakistan’s departure to Japan.The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games begins on Thursday. India and Pakistan have never played each other at the Games but could face each other in the semi-finals on October 1 in Nagoya.Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal countsHesson said Pakistan will be ready if given a chance to face India.“We are definitely preparing as best we can and if we get the opportunity to play (India) we will definitely put them under pressure like we did in the Asia Cup final,” Hesson said, referring to last year’s final in Dubai.Pakistan will begin their campaign against the winners of Group B, which includes Hong Kong, Oman and Malaysia, in the quarter-finals on September 28.However, Hesson said the team needs to focus on getting through the early stages before thinking about a possible semi-final against India.“There’s a lot of cricket to be played before we can play in the semi-finals for both sides (Pakistan and India) so we’re not getting too ahead of ourselves,” Hesson said.Pakistan has never won a cricket medal at the Asian Games. They lost the bronze medal match in 2010 and 2023, while they did not participate in 2014.