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Updated - October 01, 2026 01:04 pm IST - Nisshin
India’s Ravi Bishnoi celebrates after dismissing Sri Lanka’s Lasith Croospulle through a runout during the second semifinal T20I cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, at the 20th Asian Games, in Nisshin, Japan, on October 1, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI
Ishan Kishan’s calculated 46-ball 80 on a difficult track laid the foundation as India hammered Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the Asian Games men’s cricket semifinal in Nisshin on Thursday (October 1, 2026) to set up a gold medal clash with arch-foes Pakistan.
Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (38 off 21) took India to 169 for seven on a turning track after Sri Lanka put India in to bat.
While chasing the 170-run target, the island nation first collapsed to 31 for six inside the powerplay before being eventually bundled out for 45.
Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in his opening over and was then joined by Axar Patel, who also claimed two wickets.
Sri Lanka’s collapse included two run-outs, which was ample proof of them being rattled by the pitch and the loss of early wickets.
The odd ball was flying off the surface, sowing doubts in the batters’ minds. In the end, India took just 9.5 overs to dismiss them. The Lankans will now fight for bronze in the play-off against Bangladesh, who were beaten by Pakistan earlier in the day.
Both the bronze medal and the final will be held in Nisshin on Saturday (October 3, 2026).
The build-up to the India-Pakistan showdown will once again be dominated by the chatter on whether the two teams will shake hands.
The Indian players have refused to exchange pleasantries with their Pakistan counterparts in the Asia Cup and ICC events since Operation Sindoor last year to show solidarity with the Indian armed forces.
It remains to be seen if the management sticks to the status quo or there is a handshake with the Pakistan players after the game, a protocol that has been followed by athletes of other sports in the Asian Games.
India and Pakistan players will have to share the podium irrespective of what happens in the final, like the women’s team did after winning gold last week.
In the clash against Sri Lanka, India decided to bring back Sooryavanshi into the playing eleven for the knockout game alongside Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, considering the spin-friendly conditions.
They left out left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, with Bumrah being the only fast bowling resource available to them.
A similar tactic was employed by a second-string Sri Lanka, who tried to spin a web around the Indian batters after opting to bowl first and was largely successful.
If it weren’t for the ‘’X’’ factor of Sooryavanshi and Kishan, India would have ended up with a much lower total.
For a change, it was a sunny morning in Nisshin as both teams took the field for the first time in the competition.
With the ball turning a fair bit in the powerplay, it was clear that the game would be dominated by the spinners.
Only two overs of pace were used by the Sri Lankans.
Abhishek (7 off 3) perished after smashing a straight six off Sri Lanka captain Sahan Arachchige. The left-hander tried to make room but ended up offering a regulation catch at short third man.
Samson (7 off 9) was bamboozled after he exposed his stumps to a straighter one from ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Ratnayake, who was bowling left-arm spin to the right-handers and off-spin to the left-handers.
Despite the fall of wickets, Sooryavanshi kept the pressure on the opposition with his trademark breathtaking strokeplay.
After three overs of spin, left-arm pacer Binura Fernando was brought into the attack in the fourth over and Sooryavanshi dented his confidence by picking his length ball over mid-off before punishing a low full toss in the cover region for back-to-back fours.
In Tharindu’s third over, Sooryavanshi reverse swept him before picking him up for a six-over long-on.
Sooryavanshi’s standout shot of the innings was a pull off Fernando, taking India to 58 for two in the first six overs.
The 15-year-old sensation departed soon after in identical fashion to Abhishek, caught at short third man off Arachchige.
The fall of captain Shreyas Iyer (13) and Axar Patel (8) in the middle overs slowed down the run rate before Kishan unleased himself on the spinners.
He resorted to hitting the spinners straight rather than going for horizontal shots, with four of his sixes coming between long on and long off. He also hit four boundaries.
Published - October 01, 2026 12:20 pm IST
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