Ishan Kishan smashes record-breaking 80 to rescue India against Sri Lanka in Asian Games semifinal
Ishan Kishan delivered a sensational rescue act in India's Asian Games 2026 semifinal against Sri Lanka, smashing an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls to propel India to a competitive total of 169/7 in their 20 overs.
Record-Breaking Knock from No. 5
Walking in with India reeling after regular strikes by the Sri Lankan bowling attack, Kishan turned the momentum completely on its head. The dynamic left-hander struck four boundaries and cleared the ropes five times during his blistering knock, batting with both poise and aggression.
His 80 not out etched his name into the history books, breaking Manish Pandey's eight-year-old record for the highest individual score by an Indian batter batting at No. 5 or lower in men's T20Is. Pandey had previously scored an unbeaten 79 against South Africa in Centurion back in 2018.
Highest Individual Scores for India from No. 5 or Lower in T20Is
- Ishan Kishan: 80* vs Sri Lanka (Nisshin, 2026)
- Manish Pandey: 79* vs South Africa (Centurion, 2018)
- Yuvraj Singh: 77* vs Australia (Rajkot, 2013)
- Hardik Pandya: 71* vs Australia (Mohali, 2022)
- Rinku Singh: 69* vs Afghanistan (Bengaluru, 2024)
- Rinku Singh: 68* vs South Africa (Gqeberha, 2023)
Early Blitz and Sri Lankan Fightback
Earlier, India were off to an explosive start courtesy of young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who blasted 38 off just 21 deliveries. However, Sri Lanka hit back sharply once Abhishek Sharma (7) and Sanju Samson (7) fell cheaply.
When Sooryavanshi was dismissed, India were placed under heavy pressure. Shreyas Iyer managed 13 before being bowled by Wanuja Sahan, while Axar Patel and Tilak Varma were also sent back without significant contributions.
As wickets continued to tumble around him, Kishan anchored the innings before launching a fierce late counter-attack to guide India to a defensible 169/7. For Sri Lanka, captain Sahan Arachchige and Tharindu Ratnayake claimed two wickets each, while Wanuja Sahan, Nuwanidu Fernando, and Lasith Croospulle took one wicket apiece.