India crushed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second semifinal of the Asian Games men's cricket tournament at Nisshin, Japan. After being invited to bat first, India put up 169/7 in 20 overs. Ishan Kishan scored a blazing 86 runs off 46 balls, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed 38 runs off 21 balls. Sahan Arachchige (2/28 in 4 overs) was Sri Lanka's best bowler, while Tharindu Rathnayake also took two wickets. The score looked like a fighting total, but the pitch made batting extremely difficult. In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 45 runs in 9.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/7 in 2 overs), Axar Patel (2/8 in 3 overs) and Abhishek Sharma (2/2 in 0.5 overs) demolished the Sri Lankan batting order in less than 10 overs. India recorded their biggest-ever win over Sri Lanka in T20I cricket. The result also set up a highly anticipated India-Pakistan final, with the gold medal now at stake.

Kishan Leads India’s Batting

The pitch made stroke-making difficult, but Ishan Kishan found a way to score quickly. He remained unbeaten on 80 from only 46 balls. Kishan received some luck during his innings. Several miscued shots landed safely in gaps. Sri Lanka also missed a major opportunity when Nuwanidu Fernando dropped Kishan on 56. Kishan made the most of the second chance and controlled the Indian innings during the difficult middle overs. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also made an important contribution. The young opener attacked the off side and repeatedly created room to hit through the field. He brought up India’s 50 with a sequence of 4, 6 and 4 off Tharindu Ratnayake. Sooryavanshi eventually fell for 38 from 21 balls. Kishan continued to attack after Sooryavanshi’s dismissal. He hit two sixes during his first 12 balls and waited for loose deliveries. India lost Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel cheaply, while Tilak Varma also failed to make a major impact. However, Kishan kept the innings moving. He reached his half-century from 33 balls in the 17th over. He survived two chances immediately afterwards. One delivery turned sharply, while Nuwanidu dropped another chance at mid-off. India finished with a strong late surge. They hit four sixes and four fours during the final eight overs. Kishan hit all but one of those sixes. Washington Sundar struck the final maximum as India reached 169/7. On a normal pitch, the score would have looked competitive. On this surface, it proved extremely difficult to chase.

Spin Dominates in Nisshin

India selected four spinners for the semi-final, while Sri Lanka went with three. The decision worked perfectly. Spinners delivered 149 of the 179 balls bowled in the match. That accounted for 83% of all deliveries. They claimed 12 wickets, bowled 73 dot balls and conceded runs at an economy rate of 6.56. India’s fast bowlers also played their part. They conceded only 44 runs from 30 balls. Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets for just seven runs from his two overs.

Bumrah Creates Early Trouble

Sri Lanka’s chase quickly turned into a nightmare. Bumrah bowled with Test-match lengths and extracted significant movement from the surface. Sineth Jayawardena tried to attack him early but failed to control his shot. The ball moved in and struck him on the back leg in front of the stumps. Sohan de Livera then fell to Bumrah’s angle from around the wicket. He edged the delivery to the wicketkeeper. For the first time in a men’s T20I, India had taken two wickets before Sri Lanka scored a run. Bumrah continued to trouble the batters in his second over. One delivery bounced sharply from a length and appeared to gain extra pace after hitting the pitch. India’s bowling attack gave Sri Lanka almost no opportunity to recover.

Sri Lanka Collapse Under Pressure

India did not need to rely heavily on pace after Bumrah’s opening spell. Sri Lanka’s batting collapse accelerated through a combination of accurate bowling and poor running between the wickets. Lasith Croospulle became the first victim of a run-out after Ravi Bishnoi produced sharp fielding at short third. Sahan Arachchige and Ashen Bandara also threw away their wickets while attempting sweeps against Axar Patel. Axar bowled 14 dot balls and finished with two wickets. Washington Sundar entered the attack with Sri Lanka already struggling at 18 for 5. Nuwanidu initially responded with aggression. He hit two sixes in three balls. The second maximum came from an effortless shot over long-on. But Nuwanidu then attempted a single that was never available. The resulting run-out pushed Sri Lanka closer to complete collapse.

Three Run Outs Add to Sri Lanka’s Problems

Sri Lanka lost three wickets through run-outs during the innings. Two of those dismissals involved batters from the top four. The fielding effort added to India’s dominance. Sri Lanka could not build any partnership and lost wickets at regular intervals. India eventually completed the innings with a team hat-trick. Sri Lanka were bowled out for only 45 in 29.5 overs. The result gave India their biggest T20I victory over Sri Lanka and sent the defending champions into the Asian Games final.