India vs Iran Kabaddi final, Asian Games 2026: India clinch 9th gold as men join women to complete golden double

India vs Iran Kabaddi final, Asian Games 2026 Highlights: Both the men and women's team win gold medal as India extend dominance in kabaddi at the Asian Games.

India vs Iran Kabaddi final, Asian Games 2026 LIVE: Both the men and women's team win gold medal (Screengrab - SonyLiv)

India vs Iran Kabaddi Highlights, Asian Games 2026 LIVE: The Indian men's team extended their dominance at the Asian Games, winning gold medal for the record-extending ninth time. India defeated Iran 40-34 in a repeat of the previous edition's final. Tempers flared in the summit clash as players from both teams displayed ample aggression. For the majority of the contest, it was a neck-and-neck affair but India displayed dominance in the final few minutes to run away with the contest and seal the win....Read More

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• 26 Sept 2026, 03:39:47 PM IST

  GOLD for India!!!!

  And it's done!! India got the gold medal. They have won nine out of ten editions of the Asian Games. India register 40-34 win as the men's team join the women's team to do the double in kabaddi. Fourth gold medal of the 2026 edition of the Asian Games for India.

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:30:02 PM IST

  Arjun Deshwal increases lead!

  Arjun Deshwal has been the standout performer for India, and there seems to be a lack of communication within the Iranian camp. Iran are desperate and India are just in cruise control in the gold medal match.

  India 37-30 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:26:57 PM IST

  One and one tackles not working!

  The Iranian camp is trying to force one-on-one tackles, but the tactic is not working. India are in a comfortable eight point lead and India are well within sight of yet another gold.

  India 36-28 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:25:05 PM IST

  Six minutes left!

  Just six minutes are left on the clock and Iran are trailing by seven points. India are showing experience. The Iranian supporters try to get behind their team. Ali Samadi has been very ordinary in the second half and his lack of clarity has resulted in empty raids for Iran.

  India 34-27 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:23:10 PM IST

  India running away!

  India are now running away with the contest and the onus is on Iran to make the play. The lead has extended to seven points.

  India 33-26 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:18:58 PM IST

  India get the all out!

  India got the all out that they were waiting for. India deliver a hammer blow and Iran calls for a timeout. Five point advantage for India and 10 minutes left in the gold medal match.

  India 29-24 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:15:56 PM IST

  Super tackle!

  A super tackle from Iran and India's top raider is on the floor. Iran get two points and India's lead comes down to one point.

  India 24-23 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:15:24 PM IST

  Sumit leading the charge!

  Sumit leads the charge from the left corner, and the rest of the players jump in to help India take another point. India's lead extends by three points.

  India 24-21 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:13:24 PM IST

  India take the lead

  Blockbuster stuff! A super tackle gets the Iranian player down and India get the point to take the lead. However, the lead is just one point and we still have 15 minutes left more to see. What a spectacle these two teams are putting on.

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:11:42 PM IST

  Scoreline level!

  India get three quickfire points and the scoreline is once again on level points.

  India 20-20 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:10:16 PM IST

  Iran extend their lead

  Iran extend their lead to three points, and India have just three defenders left. Ali Samadi is tackled by the three defenders and India get the two points. Iran's lead now just down to one point.

  Iran 20-19 India

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:07:26 PM IST

  Second half begins!

  Second half begins and it's all to play for. India playing on a do-or-die raid strategy. India have to make the play here for gold!!

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:04:22 PM IST

  The first half action!

  India earned three bonus points in the first half, while Iran earned one. One technical point was awarded to India, and the side also got two super tackle points. India also got one green card, while Iran didn't get any.

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:01:34 PM IST

  Zafar with the tackle!

  Zafar goes for the tackle, he went for a knee roll and the reinforcements arrived. With that, the half-time is here. Iran take the lead. A one point lead for Iran

  Iran 18-17 India

• 26 Sept 2026, 03:00:04 PM IST

  Intimidating tackle!

  The Indian camp unleashes fury for a solid tackle and just like that the defending champions extend their lead to 17-14.

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:54:30 PM IST

  Zafardanesh gets the bragging rights!

  Zafardanesh gets the job done against his captain in the Pro Kabaddi League, helping Iran reduce India's lead. India are down to two men, and Zafardanesh gets the required points to help Iran take the lead.

  Iran 14-13 India

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:50:00 PM IST

  India drive home the advantage

  Arjun Deshwal shows who's the boss! The Iranian contingent went for a knee hold, but Deshwal shows his class and helps India get the point.

  India 11-9 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:47:34 PM IST

  Super tackle!!

  Jaideep and Sunil unleash a super tackle, and it helps them get a 10-8 lead! Finally, something to smile about for the Indian team. Solid bruise to the ego of Iran!

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:46:45 PM IST

  Fight for every point

  It's not been 10 minutes since the match started, but a fight is breaking out for every possible point. Players from both teams are piling on the pressure on referees for every single point.

  India 8-8 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:43:42 PM IST

  Review and India take the lead

  Devank is quite agitated and makes it clear that he got a touch on Iran's Amirhossein Bastami. A penalty is given against Iran for now. India captain Sunil Kumar also handed a warning as tempers continue to flare between the two teams.

  India 7-5 Iran

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:40:38 PM IST

  Timeout taken by the Indian team

  The Indian team forces Iran to take a timeout and this leads to some serious soul searching. However, Iran rediscovers their mojo to level the scoreline at 5-5.

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:39:03 PM IST

  India ahead!!

  A super tackle helps India to level the score. Super Tackle! The Indian trio trapped the Iranian raider for two points! Devank then sends the Iranian captain Atrachali back to the bench, and with this, India take a 5-4 lead.

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:35:04 PM IST

  Wow, Iran bounce back!!

  Iran bounce back in style and launch a tackle on their own. And just like that the scoreline is levelled. A second later, Iran goes into the lead. Iran knows the Indian players inside out. And the familiarity is showing.

  Ali Samadi was the one who opened the scoring for Iran.

  Iran 4 India 2

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:33:04 PM IST

  India off to a good start

  India is off to a good start to take a 2-0 lead! Shadloui, who isn't a stranger to India’s Pro Kabaddi League, is tackled and hence India get on the board.

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:30:24 PM IST

  Live action begins!!

  The Indian and Iranian teams are out and the match is about to begin. Let's go!! Expect plenty of fireworks!!!!

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:10:46 PM IST

  Check out the full lineups

  Here are the full lineups:

  India: Arjun Deshwal, Devank, Jaideep, Rahul, Ayan, Sumit, Sunil Kumar (captain), Ankit, Pawan Kumar, Gaurav Khatri, Mustafa Aslam Inamdar, Ashu Malik.

  Iran:

• 26 Sept 2026, 02:04:07 PM IST

  Less than 30 minutes to go

  The men's kabaddi final is less than half-an-hour away. The lineups are out and the contest will begin very soon. Stay tuned as we bring all the live updates.

• 26 Sept 2026, 01:57:51 PM IST

  Relive the drama of last Asian Games

  India and Iran fought it out in the men's kabaddi final in the previous Asian Games. There was plenty of drama and tempers flared between both camps. The summit clash saw play being halted for more than 40 minutes as a disagreement over a point saw the referral extending for over 40 minutes, which led to the temporary suspension.

  The Indian camp including the then-captain Pawan Sehrawar got into a tussle and a full-blown argument broke out between him and the officials. The Asian and International Kabaddi Federation also got involved. Eventually, the ruling went in India's favour, allowing the men's team to win gold with a 33-29 win. The entire confusion was all about the lobby rule.

• 26 Sept 2026, 01:44:06 PM IST

  What does the H2H record say

  India have an overwhelming record against Iran in kabaddi face-offs, winning 11 of the 12 encounters. The only time they lost was in the 2018 Asiad final.

• 26 Sept 2026, 01:30:56 PM IST

  Over to men's team

  Can India complete a double gold sweep in kabaddi? It happened three times before – 2010, 2014 and 2022

• 26 Sept 2026, 01:17:28 PM IST

  That ‘ALL OUT’ moment in the first half

• 26 Sept 2026, 01:16:33 PM IST

  How India won women's kabaddi GOLD

  🥇 for 🇮🇳!
  
  The Indian women's kabaddi team overcame a stern challenge from Iran to win the country's third gold medal at the #AsianGames in #AichiNagoya
  
  ✍️ @shahidthejudge https://t.co/GB5byiwH3g

  — HT Sports (@SportsbyHT) September 26, 2026

• 26 Sept 2026, 12:11:39 PM IST

  India women's captain speaks

  "You can probably see from my eyes how happy I am. This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. When a player starts playing, representing their country as a leader is always a dream. I got the opportunity to lead India here, and I am going home with a gold medal. I am extremely happy and honestly cannot express how I feel," said Pushpa Rana

• 26 Sept 2026, 11:45:41 AM IST

  Message from the Sports Minister

• 26 Sept 2026, 11:02:38 AM IST

  Sanju Devi: Know more about the star of today's match

  Sanju Devi, born on 19 December 2002, hails from Kerakachhar, Chhattisgarh. She has steadily progressed through domestic kabaddi competitions to earn a place in the Indian Women’s Kabaddi setup.

  At the national level, Sanju has represented her team consistently at the Senior National Women’s Kabaddi Championships, participating in the 69th, 70th, 71st and 72nd editions. She also competed at the 4th Senior Federation Cup in Amravati, Maharashtra, in 2025.

  Her consistent performances at the national level earned her selection to the Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team. The year 2025 marked a major breakthrough in her international career, as she was part of the Indian team that won Gold Medals at both the 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship in Tehran, Iran, and the 2nd Women’s Kabaddi World Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

  Her sporting achievements have also earned recognition from her home state, with the Government of Chhattisgarh conferring upon her the Yuva Ratna (Sports) Award.

  From competing at the domestic level to becoming a member of Gold Medal-winning Indian teams, Sanju’s journey reflects consistent progression and commitment to the sport. She continues to train with the objective of establishing herself further in the Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team and contributing to the country’s success at major international competitions.

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:47:44 AM IST

  India women's kabaddi at Asian Games

  2010: India beat Thailand 28-14

  2014: India beat Iran 31-21

  2018: India beat Iran 27-24

  2022: India beat Chinese Taipei 26-25

  2026: India beat Iran 37-34

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:42:49 AM IST

  4th Asiad GOLD for Indi

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:35:21 AM IST

  INDIA WIN GOLD

  There it is! India are the champions AGAIN! India win 37-34. This has been quite a match and quite a win for India

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:34:26 AM IST

  India's defense are NEXT LEVEL

  This match is done and dusted with that point. Pushpa Rani to drive India home? India lead by six points. Ohh...just missed it. Iran trail 33-37

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:32:51 AM IST

  PENALTY POINT!

  Two Iran players enter India's half. WHAT WAS THAT! Penalty against the 2018 champions. India lead 36-31

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:31:42 AM IST

  Could this be the gold-medal moment?

  Huge moment from Pooja. Impatient from Iran and this could be the gold-medal moment from India. Iran down to two players

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:29:59 AM IST

  India lead 34-28

  With four minutes to go...India are driving home the advantage. Stunning defense from India. The defending champions lead 34-28

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:27:58 AM IST

  India stretch lead by five points

  Pooja claims a touch on Sayana, who is their biggest raider. Yes it is. 31-27 for India.

  Mistake...mistake...mistake. Pinki Roy errs and India lose a point. But Sanju Devi...what a fine multi-point raid.

  Lead stretches to five now.

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:24:48 AM IST

  India extend lead by three points

  Another big moment for Iran and India's defense look shaky. Iran now 27-28. India then bounced back with a bonus +1 from Sanju Devi. India lead 30-27

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:22:04 AM IST

  Iran just ONE point behind

  1 v 2 now. Iran get an ALL OUT! What a moment for Iran. With 8 minutes to go, Iran are just one point behind at 27-26.

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:18:08 AM IST

  India maintain lead

  India is down to two players. Iran's defense will be tested. Ohh...another error from Iran again. India back to five-point lead at 26-21

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:14:05 AM IST

  Super tackle!

  Iran squander the opportunity and India grab it with both hands. India lead 25-20

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:12:52 AM IST

  This is turning out to be quite a comeback from Iran

  Sanaya finally does it. Running-hand touch. High-quality raid for Iran, who are looking hungry at this stage.

  Oh...Nikita taken down. Great cover from right side, the left corner joins in. Nikita looks injured, but India's lead is down to four (23-19).

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:10:27 AM IST

  Lead reduces for India

  Another great point for India. Jitters for India and Iran win back-to-back points. India now just have a five-point lead.

• 26 Sept 2026, 10:09:31 AM IST

  Iran now 17-22

  Iran clawing back!

  What a start to the second half. The leg side of the defense comes in. Iran now 17-22.