Asian Games 2026: Ishan Kishan Stars as India Crush Sri Lanka to Reach Cricket Final

India produced a dominant performance in the men’s T20 cricket semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs to book a place in the gold-medal match. After being asked to bat first, India posted 169/7 in 20 overs on a difficult, spin-friendly pitch. Ishan Kishan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls, including four fours and five sixes, while young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added a quick 38 off 21 deliveries. India lost wickets at regular intervals, but Kishan stayed till the end and accelerated in the final overs to give his team a competitive total.

Sri Lanka’s chase completely collapsed against India’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding. The island nation was bowled out for just 45 in 9.5 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel taking two wickets each and Abhishek Sharma also claiming two. Washington Sundar took one wicket, while several run-outs added to Sri Lanka’s woes. Nuwanidu Fernando top-scored with 15 as Sri Lanka struggled to build any partnership. The result sent India into the final, where they will face Pakistan for the gold medal on October 3. Pakistan reached the final after defeating Bangladesh in the other semifinal.