Ishan Kishan 80* steers India to 169/7 against Sri Lanka in Asian Games semifinal
Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 80 off 46 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 21-ball 38 propelled India to 169 for seven against Sri Lanka in the second men's cricket semifinal of the 2026 Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The total was compiled on a turning pitch that favoured spinners.
India recalled Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to the playing eleven alongside Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, leaving out left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and relying on Jasprit Bumrah as their only fast-bowling option. Sri Lanka fielded a second-string side and, after winning the toss, elected to bowl first with a spin-heavy plan. For the first time in the competition both teams took the field on a sunny morning.
Spin dominated from the outset, with only two overs of pace used by Sri Lanka in the powerplay. Abhishek made 7 off 3 after hitting a straight six off Sri Lanka captain Sahan Arachchige but was caught at short third man attempting to make room. Sanju Samson, scoring 7 off 9, was dismissed by Tharindu Ratnayake after exposing his stumps to a straighter delivery.
Tharindu Ratnayake operated as an ambidextrous spinner, bowling left-arm spin to right-handers and off-spin to left-handers, and tested the Indian batters in the early overs. India brought in left-arm pacer Binura Fernando in the fourth over, and Sooryavanshi responded by taking a length ball over mid-off before punishing a low full toss in the cover region for consecutive fours.
Sooryavanshi continued to attack the spinners, reverse-sweeping Tharindu in Tharindu's third over and lofting him for a six over long-on; his standout stroke was a pull off Fernando that helped India reach 58 for two in the first six overs. The 15-year-old sensation was dismissed soon after, caught at short third man off Sahan Arachchige, in a dismissal described as identical to Abhishek's.
The dismissals of captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel during the middle overs checked India's scoring rate before Kishan assumed control. Kishan predominately struck the spinners straight rather than using horizontal bat shots, finishing with four sixes—four of which came between long on and long off—and four boundaries.
Sri Lanka's spin strategy was largely effective in restricting India, and the contribution of Sooryavanshi and Kishan prevented what would otherwise have been a substantially lower total. Having bowled first, Sri Lanka will now chase 169 when they bat in the remainder of this Asian Games semifinal.
