Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 1 (ANI): Following India's win in the semifinal of the Asian Games men's cricket tournament, Indian wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan celebrated the win with a post on social media, saying that there is nothing like wearing the Indian colours.
Kishan's critical knock of 80* in 46 balls saved India from embarrassment while batting, and the bowlers produced some exceptional figures to beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs, setting up a title clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Posting on Instagram, Ishan wrote, "Nothing like these colours."
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In a concerning situation for India, when most of their top-order had failed to fire on a challenging surface and was reduced to 87/4, Ishan stepped up with a sensational 46-ball 80*, consisting of four boundaries and five sixes, scoring at a strike rate of 173.91.
Ishan has now overtaken Virat's seven fifty-plus scores in 2016 in T20I, registering his eighth fifty-plus score this year. Suryakumar holds the record of most fifty-plus scores by an Indian batter, a total of nine back in 2022, including two centuries and nine fifties.
This year across 28 T20Is and innings, Ishan has scored 985 runs at an average of 37.88 and a strike rate of 171.3, including a century and seven fifties. He is just 80 runs away from breaking Suryakumar's record of most T20I runs in a calendar year by an Indian.
In 31 T20Is back in 2022, Suryakumar had made 1,164 runs at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of over 187, including two centuries and nine fifties.
The most runs by a batter from a Test-playing nation in T20Is during a calendar year is in the hands of Pakistan batter Mohammed Rizwan. In 2021, Rizwan had scored 1,326 runs in 29 matches and 26 innings at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of over 134, with a century and 12 fifties.
Karanbir Singh of Austria has the most runs in a calendar year in T20Is by a batter, with 1,488 runs in 32 matches and innings at an average of 51.31 and a strike rate of over 174, with two centuries and 13 fifties, back in 2025.
Coming to the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (38 in 21 balls, with six fours and two sixes) delivered a solid knock, while Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson managed single-digit scores.
With India at 87/4, Ishan Kishan single-handedly revived India's fortunes with a 46-ball 80*, including four fours and five sixes, taking them to 169/7 in 20 overs. Sahan Arachchige (2/28) and Tharindu Ratnayake (2/32) were the top bowlers for SL.
SL received jolts at regular levels, with Nuwanidu Fernando (15) being the sole batter with 10-plus runs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/7), Axar Patel (3/8), Abhishek Sharma (2/2) and Washington Sundar (1/18) skittled out SL for just 45 in 9.5 overs. (ANI)
"Nothing like these colours": Ishan Kishan after India's qualification to Asian Games final
