Promising Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner, R Sai Kishore, took a significant step towards realizing his dream of representing India in T20I cricket as he marked his debut in the ongoing Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. In a thrilling quarterfinal match against Nepal, India emerged victorious, where Kishore took a wicket in his debut game.
The Asian Games witnessed the maiden participation of both the men’s and women’s cricket teams from India. The Indian women’s cricket team have already clinched the gold medal, setting the stage for the men to follow suit.
Under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Indian men’s team, featuring a lineup of IPL superstars, made an impactful entry into the competition. They posted an impressive total of 202/4 in their innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal shining with a century, and Rinku Singh contributing a blistering 37 not out off just 15 balls.
Nepal, on the other hand, put up a spirited fight during the chase but ultimately fell short, managing to score 179/9 in their allotted 20 overs. The Indian bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, took three wickets each, while R Sai Kishore chipped in with a crucial scalp. Additionally, Sai Kishore’s fielding prowess came to the fore as he took three catches, playing a pivotal role in India’s triumph.
The emotional highlight of the match was Sai Kishore’s heartfelt reaction during the Indian national anthem. Overwhelmed by the moment, he was visibly moved.
In the aftermath of the game, Sai Kishore revisited an old Twitter post that he had shared. The original tweet, which he reposted with pride, read, “I’m gonna make it and retweet this tweet then.” Accompanying this repost was a new message in Tamil, translated into English as, “Honesty: The Secret of Success.”
நேர்மைதான்
— Sai Kishore (@saik_99) October 3, 2023
வெற்றியின் ரகசியமே 🥹❤️🙏🏻🧿#Grateful #ThankYou https://t.co/Vg7NE2vhnm
Meanwhile, with the win, the Indian cricket team has now booked its place in the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2023. The Men in Blue will find its next opponent after the other 2 remaining quarter-final matches that are scheduled to take place on the 4th of October. The 2nd quarter-final played today was won by Pakistan, who beat Hong Kong by 68 runs. The two Semi-Finals meanwhile, will be played on the 6th October with the final the next day, 7th October.
