In the semi-final match against Sri Lanka, Team India has reached the score of 88 runs for the loss of four wickets in 10 overs at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Having been put to bat first, Team India’s swashbuckling Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 38 runs off 21 balls. His knock was laced with six boundaries and two maximums. Fellow opening batsman Abhishek Sharma departed after scoring seven runs in three balls, including a maximum. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson also managed to score seven runs in nine balls, which included a boundary. Captain Shreyas Iyer was dismissed on 13 runs in 13 balls, including a boundary.
Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel are unbeaten at the crease.
Sri Lanka’s Sahan Arachchige has claimed two wickets. Tharindu Rathnayake and Wanuja Sahan have bagged one wicket each. Binura Fernando and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth are yet to claim any wickets.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s skipper Sahan Arachchige won the toss and elected to bowl first against the “Men in Blue”.
Team India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson said, “[Focusing on winning the gold medal?] We will try our maximum. Whatever we can do, we will try our maximum. [On how India have gone from strength to strength in cricket] I think it’s all over the internet. It’s a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown over the last so many years. So I think there has been some constant effort. Definitely plays a huge role, but I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role actually. We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance, and that’s where we tend to develop a lot of talents also. So our grooming teams are really nicely placed – actually the Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy. The Under-19 (teams) are traveling abroad every season. A great amount of cricketers are coming from (there). So which is a great thing for our country, and we will keep doing our best”.
He then expressed his views on ‘s 86th international century in the first ODI match against the West Indies.
“Very, very fortunate to have someone like him. I think whenever he scores runs, whenever we come out to practice, or how to play a game of cricket for our country, or wherever he does, it’s a great inspiration for people like us still playing the game in the Indian national team, and everyone playing alongside with him. I think definitely benefits the way he puts on the performances. So I’m very happy,” added Samson.
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India: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah.
Sri Lanka: Lasith Crosspulle, Sineth Jayawardena, Sohan de Livera (WK), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (C), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Tharindu Rathnayake, Binura Fernando.