Asian Games: Kishan pushes India to 169/7 in semifinal against Sri Lanka
India reached a total of 169/7 in the Asian Games men's cricket semifinal against Sri Lanka, driven by Ishan Kishan's 80 and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 38. The match was heavily influenced by spin-friendly conditions in Japan.
Why it matters
This match represents a significant stage in the Asian Games cricket tournament, highlighting the performance of emerging Indian talent.
Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 80 off 46 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 21-ball 38 on a turning pitch took India to 169 for seven against Sri Lanka in the second men's cricket semifinal of the Asian Games in Japan on Thursday (October 1, 2026).
Considering the spin-friendly conditions and the stage, India decided to bring back Sooryavanshi into the playing eleven alongside Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
They left out left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh with Jasprit Bumrah being the only fast bowling resource available to them.
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.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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