Asian Games 2023 cricket: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden ton propels India to semi-finals
Yashasvi Jaiswal became the youngest Indian to score a century in T20 internationals. The Indian cricket team defeated Nepal by 23 runs in the quarter-finals in Hangzhou.
Cricket
Powered by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s ton, India beat Nepal by 23 runs in the Asian Games 2023 men’s cricket quarter-finals at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday.
Batting first, the Indian men’s cricket team scored 202/4 with the help of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden T20 international century (100 off 49 balls) and Rinku Singh’s terrific finish (37* off 15 balls). Nepal could only manage 179/9 in the chase.
En route, Yashasvi Jaiswal became India’s youngest T20I centurion at the age of 21 years, 279 days. He surpassed the previous record set by Shubman Gill earlier this year (23 years, 146 days).
India, by virtue of their global ranking in T20 Internationals, had qualified directly for the quarter-finals, while Nepal topped Group A with two wins to make it to the final eight.
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bat first with Yashasvi Jaiswal capitalising by smashing two sixes in a row in the second over. Along with India captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (25 off 23 balls), Jaiswal powered his team to 63 runs in the powerplay.
In the seventh over, with a big six off Sandeep Lamichhane over long-off, Yashasvi Jaiswal completed his half-century off only 22 deliveries. The opening pair of Jaiswal and Gaikwad completed a 100-run partnership shortly before Gaikwad was dismissed.
The Nepalese spinners soon kept the run flow in check. Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane dismissed Tilak Varma and Jitesh Sharma, respectively, as India’s scoring rate slowed down. Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, accumulated timely boundaries and got to his century in the 16th over.
After Jaiswal was dismissed, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube handed India a big finish. Rinku Singh muscled two fours and two sixes to score 25 runs in the final over as India finished with 202/4.
In the run chase, India remained in control throughout the innings. Avesh Khan dismissed Aasif Sheikh in the fourth over while Kushal Bhurtel fell to debutant Sai Kishore in the ninth.
Kushal Malla, who recently scored the fastest T20 International century against Mongolia**,** walked back to the pavilion in the 11th over courtesy of Ravi Bishnoi for 29 off 22 balls. Three balls later, Bishoni sent back skipper Rohit Paudel to reduce Nepal to 77/4.
Dipendra Singh Airee (32 off 15 balls), however, led a late fightback alongside Sundeep Jora (29 off 12 balls). Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored the fastest T20I fifty a few days ago, smashed three sixes in a row off Shivam Dube in the 14th over.
Both Airee and Jora, however, fell in quick succession in a bid to up the run rate and India took control of the innings in the death overs.
Ravi Bishnoi returned an impressive spell, picking up three wickets for 24 runs in his four overs. Avesh Khan picked up three for 32.
In the semi-final, India will face the winner of the Bangladesh-Malaysia quarter-final on Friday.
India vs Nepal brief scores
India 202/4 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 100, Dipendra Singh Airee 2/31) beat Nepal 179/9 in 20 overs (Dipendra Singh 32, Ravi Bishnoi 3/24)