Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 1 (ANI): Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field against defending champions India in the second semifinal of the men's cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 here on Thursday.
India, who are the defending champions in the men's cricket competition, will look to secure a place in the gold-medal match with a win over Sri Lanka. The winner of the high-stakes semifinal will face Pakistan in the final. Pakistan booked their place in the title clash after defeating Bangladesh by six wickets in the first semifinal, which was reduced to 13 overs due to rain.
Meanwhile, the loser of the second semifinal will take on Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match. India are aiming to continue their strong run in the competition and defend the gold medal they won at the previous edition of the Asian Games. The match between India and Sri Lanka promises to be a crucial contest, with a place in the final and a guaranteed medal at stake.
Ahead of the second semifinal against Sri Lanka, Sanju Samson said the country's sustained efforts at the domestic level, along with the Indian Premier League (IPL), have played a major role in the growth of Indian cricket.
Samson further said the team would give its best and highlighted the contribution of India's domestic cricket structure in producing a strong pool of talent. Reflecting on India's rise in cricket, Samson said the growth has been the result of consistent efforts over the years.
"We will try our maximum. Whatever we can do, we will try our maximum. 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, IPL 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 talent also. So our grooming teams are really nicely placed - actually the Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy," Samson said.
"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. [On Virat Kohli scoring his 86th international hundred during the first ODI vs 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 him. I think it definitely benefits the way he puts on the performances. So I'm very happy," he added.
Playing XI of both teams:
India (Playing XI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah.
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardena, Sohan de Livera(w), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige(c), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Tharindu Ratnayake, Binura Fernando. (ANI)
Asian Games 2026: Sri Lanka opt to field against India in men's cricket semifinal
