Hangzhou: Ishan Kishan produced a calculated unbeaten 80 off 46 balls on a difficult, turning pitch as defending champions India stormed into the Asian Games men’s cricket final with a 124-run victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday.
India, who were sent in to bat after Sri Lanka won the toss, posted 169 for seven in 20 overs. Kishan anchored the innings while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided the early momentum with a quick 38 off 21 balls.
Sri Lanka’s chase then unravelled dramatically. Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in his opening over before Axar Patel joined the attack and claimed two wickets of his own. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for just 45 in 9.5 overs, their total matching the joint-lowest T20 International score by a Test-playing nation.
The victory booked India a gold-medal meeting with arch-rivals Pakistan, who defeated Bangladesh in the other semifinal earlier in the day.
Kishan and Sooryavanshi rescue India
India’s decision to bring Sooryavanshi back into the playing XI paid dividends on a pitch where the ball was turning sharply and batting was difficult.
India opened with Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi, while Sanju Samson also returned to the XI. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was left out, with Bumrah the only specialist fast-bowling option in India’s line-up.
The conditions immediately suggested that spin would play a major role. Sri Lanka used only two overs of pace in the early part of the innings and relied heavily on its spinners to restrict India’s scoring.
Abhishek made a quick start, hitting a six off Sri Lankan captain Sahan Arachchige, but fell for seven from three balls while attempting to create room. He was caught at short third man.
Samson also struggled against the conditions. The wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed for seven off nine balls after being beaten by a straighter delivery from ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Ratnayake.
Sooryavanshi, however, continued attacking.
15-year-old Sooryavanshi takes on Sri Lanka
The teenager showcased his aggressive strokeplay despite the challenging surface.
After three overs of spin, Sri Lanka introduced left-arm pacer Binura Fernando. Sooryavanshi immediately attacked him, lifting a length delivery over mid-off before driving a low full toss through the covers for consecutive boundaries.
He later reverse-swept Ratnayake before hitting him over long-on for a six.
One of his most impressive shots came against Fernando when he pulled the pacer to take India to 58 for two at the end of the powerplay.
Sooryavanshi eventually fell for 38 off 21 balls, caught at short third man off Arachchige. His innings contained the kind of attacking strokeplay that India needed to prevent Sri Lanka’s spinners from completely taking control.
The dismissals of captain Shreyas Iyer for 13 and Axar Patel for eight then slowed India’s scoring rate.
That was when Kishan took charge.
Kishan switches gears on turning track
Kishan adapted his approach to the surface rather than attempting to dominate the spinners with horizontal-bat shots.
He concentrated on hitting them straight, particularly towards long-on and long-off. Four of his six sixes came in that region, while he also struck four boundaries.
His ability to find scoring opportunities without taking unnecessary risks allowed India to build a competitive total despite losing wickets at regular intervals.
Kishan remained unbeaten on 80 from 46 deliveries, providing the foundation for India’s final score of 169 for seven.
The total appeared challenging on a pitch where stroke-making was increasingly difficult, and India’s bowlers made sure it proved more than enough.
Sri Lanka collapse to 45 all out
Sri Lanka’s chase lasted less than 10 overs.
Bumrah made an immediate impact by taking two wickets in his opening over, leaving Sri Lanka in serious trouble during the powerplay.
Axar then added two more wickets as India’s bowling attack exploited the unpredictable bounce and turn.
Sri Lanka slipped to 31 for six before their innings ended at 45.
The collapse also included two run-outs, highlighting the pressure created by India’s early wickets and the difficult batting conditions.
Some deliveries appeared to bounce sharply or deviate unexpectedly from the surface, leaving Sri Lankan batters uncertain about how to approach the chase.
India needed only 9.5 overs to dismiss the opposition.
Sri Lanka’s 45 is the joint-lowest T20 International total recorded by a Test-playing nation. West Indies were also dismissed for 45 against England in 2019.
Axar highlights India’s all-round performance
After the match, Axar Patel emphasised that India needed to contribute with both bat and ball to secure a place in the final.
“We have to perform in both batting and bowling to win,” Axar said.
He also pointed to the disruption caused by rain in the lead-up to the knockout match. India’s quarterfinal against Afghanistan had been washed out, while practice sessions had also been affected by poor weather.
“We’ve been waiting for some days, there was a lot of rain around. To switch on and perform like this after a long break is commendable,” Axar said.
India’s ability to adapt quickly to the playing conditions proved decisive.
Pakistan await India in gold-medal clash
The semifinal victory means India will now face Pakistan for the Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal.
Pakistan secured their place in the final after defeating Bangladesh earlier on Thursday. Sri Lanka will instead play Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.
Both matches are scheduled to take place on Saturday.
The India-Pakistan final adds another major sporting contest between the neighbouring countries, although the Asian Games setting also means players from both sides will share the medal podium regardless of the result.
The final is expected to attract considerable attention given the history between the two cricket teams and the fact that India are the defending Asian Games champions.
Handshake question returns ahead of final
The India-Pakistan meeting is also likely to renew discussion over interactions between the two teams.
Indian players have not exchanged handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts at recent Asia Cup and ICC events following tensions between the two countries and the Indian military operation referred to as Operation Sindoor.
The Asian Games, however, have seen athletes from the two countries participate in shared medal ceremonies in other sports.
It remains to be seen how the cricket teams interact after Saturday’s final. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will be required to attend the medal ceremony if they finish in the medal positions.
India eye another Asian Games cricket gold
India’s emphatic semifinal victory has put the defending champions one step away from another Asian Games gold medal.
Kishan’s composed innings and Sooryavanshi’s aggressive contribution helped India negotiate a challenging pitch, while Bumrah and Axar led a bowling attack that dismantled Sri Lanka’s chase.
The 124-run margin also underlined the difference between the two sides on the day. India will now turn their attention to Pakistan and the gold-medal match, with another strong all-round performance required to defend their Asian Games title.
(This story has not been edited by News Karnataka staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)