This electrifying performance from the explosive young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal marked India’s inaugural Asian Games appearance with a hard-fought 23-run victory over a spirited Nepal side on Tuesday. Yashasvi scored a brilliant hundred against Nepal and shattered so many records.
India’s rising star, Yashasvi Jaiswal, showcased his prowess by leading his team to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. Jaiswal’s exceptional century against Nepal in the quarter-final made history, as he became the youngest Indian batter to achieve a T20I century. His remarkable innings not only secured a victory over Nepal but also positioned India as a strong contender for the gold medal in the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2023.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Jaiswal’s brilliant century in just 49 balls, along with some late fireworks from Rinku Singh (37 not out) and Shivam Dube (25 not out), powered India to a total of 202-4.
During the qualifying rounds, Nepal had smashed a record 314-3 against underdog Mongolia. However, in this game, they struggled to reach 179-9 in response, with Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi claiming three wickets each.
Cricket has previously been featured at the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014, but India did not participate. Bangladesh clinched the inaugural edition, while Sri Lanka is the defending champions, and Afghanistan finished as runners-up on both occasions.
In the Hangzhou Games, India, along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, entered the quarter-final stage. Jaiswal’s explosive start had India cruising at 103 without loss under an overcast sky at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field.
However, when Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed while attempting a big shot to deep mid-wicket after scoring 25, it triggered a minor batting collapse, with Tilkak Varma (two) and Jitesh Sharma (five) falling shortly after.
On the other end, Jaiswal, who had also featured in the Test and T20 series against the West Indies in July, reached his century in just 48 balls, smashing seven sixes and eight fours in the process. However, his luck ran out shortly after, as he was caught on the ropes by Abinash Bohara while attempting another big hit.
Then came Rinku Singh to the crease, and he hammered 37 runs off just 15 balls in a late surge that added 64 runs in the last five overs.
In their quest for a challenging target, Nepal faced some early hurdles when Avesh Khan delivered a crucial breakthrough, sending Aasif Sheikh back to the pavilion in the 4th over with just 10 runs on the scoreboard. Despite their best efforts to stabilize the innings, Nepal encountered another setback in the 9th over when Sai Kishore dismissed Kushal Bhurtel, who had managed to score 28 runs.
Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi were the standout performers with three wickets each, while Arshdeep Singh chipped in with two wickets and Sai Kishore contributed one. Together, they combined to create a formidable bowling performance for the Indian team.
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