India demolished Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition on Thursday at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, booking a gold-medal date with Pakistan. India produced a dominant performance to storm into the men's cricket gold medal match at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semifinal.
Sri Lanka won the toss and sent India in to bat first on a surface that offered plenty of assistance to the spinners from the outset.
Kishan's unbeaten 80 rescues India's total
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 conditions that made scoring difficult throughout the innings. A second-string Sri Lanka side tried to spin a web around the Indian batters after opting to bowl first and was largely successful, and if not for the contributions of Sooryavanshi and Kishan, India would have ended up with a much lower total.
India lost early wickets with Abhishek Sharma (7) and Sanju Samson (7) dismissed early in the innings, while captain Shreyas Iyer managed only 13 from 13 balls before being cleaned up by left-arm spinner Wanuja Sahan. Sooryavanshi, still only a teenager, provided the early impetus before he was dismissed for 38 by spinner and captain Sahan Arachchige trying to hit him big.
From there it was all Kishan, who brought up his fifty in 33 balls in the 17th over and kept finding the boundary against tiring Sri Lankan spinners right to the end of the innings. The knock ensured India posted a total well above what looked likely at the halfway stage.
Sri Lanka's chase collapses inside ten overs
Needing 170 to reach the gold-medal match themselves, Sri Lanka never got going. The innings fell apart rapidly against India's spin-heavy attack, with India restricting Sri Lanka to a much lower total to complete a big win after posting 169/7.
India won in an absolute blow-out as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 45 in 9.5 overs, with the final wicket falling as a delivery skidded through and struck a batter stuck on the crease. Ishan Kishan's 80 and Ravi Bishnoi's three-wicket haul proved decisive as Sri Lanka's batting line-up simply had no answer to the turn and bounce on offer.
Abhishek Sharma, who had failed with the bat, made amends with the ball, finishing things off as Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets in quick succession. The margin of 124 runs stands as a reminder of just how one-sided the contest became once the chase began to unravel.
India set up gold-medal clash with Pakistan
India will now face Pakistan in the gold medal match on October 3, setting up another instalment of the fierce rivalry on the biggest stage of the continental multi-sport event. It is a repeat of countless high-profile meetings between the two nations down the years, though this time an Asian Games gold medal is directly at stake.
India arrived at this semi-final having already shown their credentials in the group phase, where their route to the knockouts was eased after an earlier fixture was washed out, as detailed in our report on how India reach Asian Games semi-finals after Afghanistan washout. Thursday's performance, built on Kishan's composure under pressure and a ruthless bowling effort, suggests India will go into the final as strong favourites.
What comes next for both sides
Sri Lanka's campaign ends in heartbreak after a semi-final capitulation that will sting given how competitive the tournament had looked beforehand. For India, attention now turns fully to Pakistan and the chance to claim gold on Japanese soil on Saturday.
The gold-medal match promises to be a fitting finale to the men's cricket competition at these Asian Games, pitting two of the sport's most storied rivals against each other with a medal on the line rather than bilateral pride alone.