Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 80 and a devastating bowling performance carried India into the men’s cricket final at the 2026 Asian Games, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for just 45 in the second semifinal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
India won by 124 runs after posting 169/7 on a surface that offered plenty of turn. Kishan anchored the innings through the difficult middle overs before attacking late, while Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and the rest of India’s bowling attack ensured Sri Lanka never got into the chase.
India will meet Pakistan in the gold medal match. Sri Lanka will instead play Bangladesh for bronze.
IND vs SL: Sooryavanshi provides the early push
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field, and India were quickly put under pressure.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson both fell for seven, leaving India at 24/2. That brought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to the crease for his first T20I appearance since missing India’s preceding series against Afghanistan.
The teenager wasted little time finding his rhythm.
Sooryavanshi struck six fours and two sixes in a 21-ball 38, providing India with the momentum they needed. His dismissal ended an aggressive cameo, but Kishan was already beginning to settle at the other end.
Shreyas Iyer made 13 from 13 balls before falling, leaving Kishan to take responsibility for the closing stages.
IND vs SL: Kishan turns control into acceleration
The pitch was not easy for stroke-making, particularly against Sri Lanka’s spinners. Kishan initially played with patience, rotating the strike and picking his moments.
Once the innings entered its final phase, however, he shifted gears.
The left-hander cleared the ropes five times and found four boundaries on his way to 80 not out from 46 balls. His late assault added crucial runs to India’s total and lifted them to 169/7, a formidable score given the conditions.
What initially looked like a par score became a daunting target.
Sri Lanka’s reply would show just how difficult batting on the surface could be.
IND vs SL: Bumrah blows Sri Lanka away
Bumrah needed only one over to put the chase in trouble.
The India fast bowler struck twice in his opening over, before Sri Lanka had even managed to get off the mark. Axar Patel then attacked the middle order, dismissing captain Sahan Arachchige and Ashen Bandara within four deliveries.
India’s fielding maintained the pressure.
Lasith Croospulle was run out for a duck, while Nuwanidu Fernando, who had made 15, also departed through a run-out. Sri Lanka were suddenly six wickets down for 31 runs inside the Powerplay.
Washington Sundar then joined the wicket-taking as the collapse continued, leaving Sri Lanka at 33/7.
There was no meaningful resistance after that.
IND vs SL: Sri Lanka bowled out in 9.5 overs
Ravi Bishnoi and Sundar kept the batters under control as the turning surface made it increasingly difficult for Sri Lanka to find boundaries or build partnerships.
The innings ended in the 10th over when Abhishek Sharma removed the final two batters with successive deliveries.
Sri Lanka were all out for 45 in just 9.5 overs, handing India their biggest win of the tournament and ending their hopes of a gold medal.
Bumrah and Axar claimed two wickets each, while Abhishek finished with 2 for 2.
India’s disrupted build-up to the semifinal had raised questions about match rhythm after rain washed out their quarterfinal. On the field, though, there was little evidence of rust.
They now have Pakistan standing between them and Asian Games gold.
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