India Crush Sri Lanka by 124 Runs, Set Up Asian Games Gold Medal Clash Against Pakistan

Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 80 and a ruthless bowling display take India into the final

Nisshin, October 1: India produced a commanding all-round performance to storm into the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second semifinal at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. India will now face Pakistan in the gold-medal match.

After posting 169 for seven in 20 overs, India’s bowlers completely dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order. The chase lasted just 9.5 overs, with Sri Lanka bowled out for only 45 runs.

The result assured India of at least a silver medal, while the team will now have an opportunity to compete for gold against Pakistan in the final. Pakistan booked its place in the title clash after defeating Bangladesh in the other semifinal.

Kishan Anchors India’s Innings

India were put into bat after Sri Lanka won the toss and initially found scoring difficult. Abhishek Sharma made 7, Sanju Samson scored 7 and captain Shreyas Iyer contributed 13 before departing.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then provided the innings with much-needed momentum, smashing 38 from 21 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

With wickets continuing to fall at the other end, Ishan Kishan took charge of the innings. The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on a spectacular 80 off 46 balls, striking four fours and five sixes. His aggressive finish lifted India to a competitive 169/7.

Kishan’s innings proved particularly important after India had lost several established batters cheaply.

Sri Lanka Collapse Under Pressure

Sri Lanka’s chase turned into a one-sided contest almost immediately.

India’s bowling attack struck repeatedly, leaving the Sri Lankan side struggling to build any partnership. The innings ended at 45 in 9.5 overs, with only Nuwanidu Fernando reaching double figures among the Sri Lankan batters. Six Sri Lankan players failed to open their accounts.

Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma claimed two wickets each, while Washington Sundar added one wicket as India’s attack wrapped up the contest in emphatic fashion.

Bumrah’s early strikes put Sri Lanka on the back foot, after which India’s spin options continued to squeeze the batting lineup. Sri Lanka never recovered from the rapid loss of wickets.

India Eye Gold Against Pakistan

With the semifinal victory, India have moved into the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket gold-medal match, where Pakistan await them.

The final will bring the two South Asian rivals together in a high-profile contest for the gold medal. India entered the tournament as defending champions after winning gold at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

For India, the semifinal victory was built around two contrasting performances—Kishan’s composed yet explosive batting and a highly effective bowling effort that dismissed Sri Lanka for just 45.

(SDNA)