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India's Asian Games-bound men's team stumbles in warm-up against Karnataka, tastes defeat by six wickets

Karnataka's chase was headlined by seasoned batsman Manish Pandey, who showcased his prowess with a well-composed unbeaten 52 off 40 balls.

SportsTak

• Fri • 22 Sep 2023

Highlights:

It's worth noting that the Indian squad was without their skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Ahead of their maiden Asian Games appearance, India's T20 cricket team faced a setback, succumbing to Karnataka by a margin of six wickets in a warm-up clash on Friday. The fixture saw Karnataka's bowler, Manoj Bhandage, making waves with an outstanding spell of 4/15. He was ably supported by Vasuki Koushik and Shubhang Hegde, who clinched three wickets each. Their collective efforts restricted the Indian side to a total of 133 runs in their allocated 20 overs.

Karnataka's chase was headlined by seasoned batsman Manish Pandey, who showcased his prowess with a well-composed unbeaten 52 off 40 balls. LR Chethan contributed a brisk 29, with Mayank Agarwal and Abhinav Manohar adding 19 and 17 runs respectively. Karnataka successfully overcame the target, reaching 136/4 in just 19.1 overs, leaving five balls unused.

From the Indian bowling unit, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, and R Sai Kishore managed to snatch a wicket each.

India's batting performance had glimpses of promise, especially from the openers. Prabhsimran Singh displayed aggressive intent, notching up 49 runs from 31 balls, including seven boundaries and a maximum. Yashasvi Jaiswal complemented him, scoring a rapid 31 off 17 deliveries, dispatching the ball to the boundary on seven occasions.

However, the middle order faltered. Players like Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube found it tough to get going, making negligible contributions to the scoreboard. Koushik's spell at the end ensured that India's innings concluded prematurely, bagging the tail-enders.

It's worth noting that the Indian squad was without their skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad. He was enlisted in the playing XI for India's first ODI against Australia taking place in Mohali.

The upcoming Asian Games, scheduled between September 28 and October 8, will witness India's men's cricket team making their debut. This will undoubtedly be a landmark event in the annals of Indian cricket history.

Meanwhile, the Indian women's cricket contingent has already secured a place in the semifinals, enhancing the nation's prospects in the grand event taking place in China.