Nisshin, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Ishan Kishan produced a superb unbeaten 80 off 46 balls to help India post 169/7 against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games men’s cricket semifinal at Karogi Sports Park on Thursday.
Batting first on a surface where cracks offered assistance to the spinners, India found run-scoring difficult for large periods but finished strongly after Ishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided the bulk of the momentum.
Sooryavanshi, returning to the Playing XI after missing India’s previous four T20Is, scored 38 off 21 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. The 15-year-old initially played a measured innings before accelerating, including a reverse-hit boundary against Tharindu Ratnayake.
India, however, were reduced to 40/2 after losing Abhishek Sharma for seven and Sanju Samson for seven in the second and third overs respectively. Ratnayake, who switched between left-arm and right-arm spin depending on the batter, dismissed Samson.
Sooryavanshi fell to Sri Lanka captain Sahan Arachchige while attempting to attack, and India soon lost captain Shreyas Iyer for 13 off 13 balls after he was bowled by left-arm spinner Wanuja Sahan.
Axar Patel was promoted to No. 6 ahead of Tilak Varma but managed only eight from 13 balls before Arachchige dismissed him. Nuwanidu Fernando then stumped Tilak for two, leaving India at 125/6 after 15 overs.
Ishan held the innings together and brought up his half-century from 33 balls in the 17th over. He received some fortune along the way, surviving a miscued shot that was dropped and another top edge that fell safely.
Ratnayake later switched to right-arm off-spin against Shivam Dube and had him caught at cover for three, with Arachchige completing an excellent catch.
Ishan then found another gear at the death, hitting two sixes alongside Washington Sundar in the final over, which yielded 18 runs and took India to a competitive 169/7.
Jasprit Bumrah also returned to the Indian XI after being rested for the one-off T20I against Japan.
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