India beat Sri Lanka to reach Asian Games cricket final, will face Pakistan for gold

India's men's cricket team has entered the final of the 20th Asian Games being held in Japan. A strong performance against Sri Lanka in the second semi-final secured India's place in the gold-medal contest.

In the final, India will now face traditional rivals Pakistan. With India and Pakistan set to meet for the gold medal, excitement among cricket fans has reached a peak.

Sri Lanka won the toss and asked India to bat first. India scored 169 for 7 in 20 overs. India lost a few early wickets, but Ishan Kishan steadied the innings with a superb unbeaten 80 off 46 balls, hitting 4 fours and 5 sixes.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi also made a valuable contribution to the total, scoring 38 off 21 balls.

Sri Lanka needed 170 to win. They made a poor start in the chase, as India's bowlers attacked from the outset. Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets in the first over to give Sri Lanka a double blow, and the Indian bowlers kept up the pressure after that.

In the first semi-final, Pakistan had beaten Bangladesh to reach the final. India and Pakistan will therefore meet in a high-profile gold-medal match in men's cricket at the Asian Games.

India are the defending champions in men's cricket. They won the gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, and will take the field in the final looking to retain the title.

Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Suryavanshi with the bat, and Jasprit Bumrah with the ball, played key roles in India's performance.