• Source:JND
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Indian men's cricket team kicked off their campaign in style at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou as they defeated Nepal in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side reached the semifinals of the men's cricket event after a 23-run win in their first match on the back of the batting brilliance of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Jaiswal reached his first T20I century in just 48 balls and also became the youngest Indian to score a hundred in the shortest format.

For India, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma and star spinner R Sai Kishore made their T20I debuts against Nepal.

 

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An emotional moment took place a few moments ahead of the match as Sai Kishore was seen getting emotional during the national anthem.

He was seen in tears as the video of the star player went viral in no time on the internet.

Talking about the match, India opted to bat first after winning the toss and posted a massive total of 202/4 in their 20 overs.

Jaiswal stitched a 103-run opening stand with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad before the latter was dismissed.

Jaiswal kept going and was smashing boundaries at regular intervals as eight fours and seven sixes helped him reach the three-figure mark.

The debutant Sai Kishore didn't get to bat but bowled brilliantly in the match as he gave away just 25 runs in his four overs, picking up a wicket as well.

He dismissed Nepal's opening batter Kushal Bhurtel who scored 28 runs in 32 balls as he was caught by Avesh Khan in the ninth over of the innings.

Talking about Sai Kishore, the 26-year-old has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit for a while now.

He came into headlines after he was picked up by Chennai Super Kings at the base price of INR 20 lakhs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the 2020 season.

He was part of the Men in Yellow's title-winning campaign in the 2021 season where they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.

However, he didn't get to play a single game in the two seasons he spent with the MS Dhoni-led side.

 

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In the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022, Sai Kishore was roped in by Gujarat Titans for INR 3 crore. The youngster made his IPL debut in a game against Lucknow Super Giants and went on to play five matches in that season, picking up six wickets at 20.17. The Titans went on to win the tournament. He was a part of the side in the 2023 edition as well but didn't get a game.

In 49 T20s, Sai has picked up 57 wickets at an average of just 16.91. He could play a crucial role for the Men in Blue as they aim to win gold at the Asian Games for the first time.

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