The Indian men’s cricket team cruised into the final of the Asian Games 2026 after defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-finals at the Karogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on Thursday.
Despite losing regular wickets, India rode an unbeaten 80 by Ishan Kishan to put up a respectable total of 169/7 on the board. The Lankan chase wrapped up for a record low T20I score of 45 in just 9.5 overs.
The result also sets up a blockbuster India vs Pakistan clash for the Asian Games 2026 cricket gold medal on Friday. Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the other semis earlier in the day.
Sent in to bat first, India, the defending Asian Games cricket champions, made a rocky start, losing both Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson inside the first three overs with just 24 up on the board.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led the counter-attack with the 15-year-old playing in his characteristic fearless approach and smashed some cracking shots.
However, just as it seemed the teenager was racing towards a fifty, Vaibhav mistimed one straight to Sineth Jayawardena while trying to go after Sahan Arachchige. He scored 38, of which 36 were in boundaries, in just 21 balls.
Shreyas Iyer failed to leave a mark as the India T20 captain lost his wicket after a run-a-ball 13. Axar Patel and Tilak Varma failed to reach double digits as the Indian batters struggled to deal with the Lankan spinners on a tricky surface.
As wickets tumbled at the other end, though, Ishan Kishan held up on his end well. The left-hander looked in good nick and brought up his fifty in 33 balls. Dropped immediately after, Kishan eventually went on to score
Sahan Arachchige and Tharindu Ratnayake picked up two wickets each for the Lankans.
In the chase, Sri Lanka lost their first two wickets without disturbing the scorers with Jasprit Bumrah removing Sineth Jayawardena and Sohan de Livera for ducks in the very first over.
Lasith Croospulle was run out without opening his account off the very next ball, with the Lankans looking down the barrel at 2/3.
Axar Patel dug the Lankans into a deeper hole with a double-wicket maiden in the fourth over.
Nuwanidu Fernando hit Washington Sundar for two sixes in the next over but was run out in the fifth ball, leaving the Island nation struggling at 31/6.
Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as no Lankan batter barring Fernando, who scored 15, managed to hit double digits. Abhishek Sharma picked up wickets off consecutive deliveries to wrap up the Lankan chase for a paltry 45.
It was also Sri Lanka’s lowest-ever T20I score, with the previous worst a 77 against South Africa in New York back in 2024.
Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel each scalped two wickets while three Lankan batters were run out.
IND vs SL, Asian Games 2026 cricket semi-final, brief scores: India 169/7 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 80 not out; Sahan Arachchige 2/28) beat Sri Lanka 45/10 in 9.5 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 15; Abhishek Sharma 2/2, Jasprit Bumrah 2/7, Axar Patel 2/8) by 124 runs.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2026-cricket-india-vs-sri-lanka-semi-final-match-report
