In a crucial moment during India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 match, Ishan Kishan, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, played a vital role after India’s early collapse. He scored 82 runs from 81 balls, which proved to be a turning point for India after they were struggling at 66 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. It was only in the 38th over that Haris Rauf managed to dismiss Kishan, but by then, India had managed to bounce back from the difficult situation.
Ishan Kishan entered the crease during the 10th over and showcased his skills by hitting nine boundaries and two sixes in his innings. He also partnered with Hardik Pandya to contribute a significant 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
When Kishan was eventually dismissed, India had surpassed the 200-run milestone and seemed well on their way to a target of 275 or more in the match.
haris rauf
— amara. (@r__aymara) September 2, 2023
nikal, nikal, nikal pic.twitter.com/VGUr6ZtAyc
Ishan Kishan got out while attempting a big shot on the third ball of the 38th over, but it ended up being a mishit, and Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, caught the ball easily. However, after the catch, Haris Rauf got a bit carried away and decided to taunt or provoke Ishan Kishan as he was leaving the field with aggressive celebration.
However, after Rauf dismissed Ishan in the 38th over, Hardik Pandya still remained at the crease and was guiding the Indian inning. There came a moment when Hardik Pandya decided to take Haris Rauf all over the ground with his brilliant batting performance in the very next over of his after getting Ishan out. Hardik Pandya struck some brilliant boundaries against Rauf that the Indian fans celebrated a lot. In total, he hit the Pakistani pacer for 3 boundaries in the 40th over.
19 seconds of hardik pandya giving trauma to haris rauf 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/FHOe20UJeY
— vih (@vihreincarnated) September 2, 2023
The match held in Kandy, Sri Lanka, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Pakistan’s fast-bowling trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf posed a significant challenge to Indian batters early on. Before India could even reach 50 runs, they lost three crucial wickets.
Rohit Sharma was the first to fall, as Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled a delivery that breached his defenses, uprooting his stumps. Afridi had previously bowled two balls outside off to Rohit before striking in the final ball of the fifth over.
In the following over, Afridi dismissed India’s star batsman Virat Kohli. Kohli attempted to guide the ball towards third man for a single, but it took an inside edge and hit the stumps. Haris Rauf then took charge, claiming the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, leaving India with four wickets down and a score of 66 in the 15th over.
But, thanks to Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s inning, India eventually posted a target of 266 runs on the board. Shaheen Afridi took 4 wickets while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf both took 3 wickets each. Pakistan now need 267 runs to win the match.
