India’s men’s table tennis team won 3-0 against Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games, and Indian fans got another dominant win in the India-Pakistan sporting game.
The victory came on September 21, 2026, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and followed an identical 3-0 win by India’s women’s table tennis team against Pakistan earlier in the day. The women’s team finished Group F unbeaten and advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Pakistan in straight games.
This was an important win for the Indian men who had a mixed start to the team event. India had started out strong with a 3-0 win over Indonesia, with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah winning the sweep. Manav had to go five games against Muhammad Junindra to take the second point, and Manush Shah sealed the tie in straight games.
However, India suffered a 0-3 defeat against Iran on the opening day. Manush Shah lost to Noshad Alamiyan, Manav Thakkar was defeated by Benyamin Faraji, and Harmeet Desai lost to Nima Alamian in the final match. The result meant that the Pakistan match was more important for India in Group F.
The 3-0 victory against Pakistan therefore provides India with an important response in the team competition. It also adds another clean sweep to India’s table tennis campaign after both the men’s and women’s teams had already started their Asian Games campaigns by winning 3-0 against Indonesia.
India came to the Asian Games with a heavy focus on its men’s table tennis team. The team has experienced players like Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah among them. The Manav-Manush duo is one of the most prominent pairs for India’s top men’s doubles pairings and was among the best in the world for the men’s doubles teams going into the Games.
The win against Pakistan adds momentum to India's campaign as the competition moves forward. Team events at the Asian Games are particularly important because each tie is decided by multiple rubbers in which players must work as a team, not as a single individual.
It’s the India-Pakistan rivalry that ensures that the match between the two teams is worth a lot more than just a table tennis match. With the sporting battle still the main focus, India now has another 3-0 win against Pakistan on the same day that the women’s team produced a similar performance.
The women’s team of India had defeated Pakistan through wins by Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das and Sreeja Akula, with all three players winning their respective matches in straight games. That victory brought the women to the quarterfinals after three wins in three Group F matches.
The men's 3-0 win now gives Indian table tennis another positive score at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. In the wake of the defeat against Iran, a clean sweep against Pakistan is a huge achievement for the Indian men as they move on in the Asian Games.
With both Indian table tennis teams winning 3-0 against Pakistan on September 21, the day has turned into a memorable one for the country’s paddlers at the Asian Games.
