Jaiswal and Gill. (Photo Source: Twitter, JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images)
Indian young batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal shone with the bat during the first quarter-final vs Nepal in the Asian Games on Tuesday, October 03 at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou. The 21-year-old scored a magnificent hundred (100 off 49) guiding his team to a massive score of 202/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Jaiswal became India’s first centurion in the Asian Games as he smacked eight fours and seven sixes in his breathtaking innings. The southpaw also became the youngest centurion for India in T20Is leaving behind Shubman Gill who achieved the feat at the age of 23 earlier this year.
Notably, Gill had scored 126* (63) vs New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 01, 2023 which remains his highest score in T20Is. Meanwhile, Gill has been in sensational form this year as he won the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’ award in IPL 2023.
The Rajasthan Royals opener scored 625 runs from 14 innings at an average of 48.07 with one hundred and five fifties to his name. He also registered the fastest fifty in the history of the league reaching the landmark in just 13 balls vs Kolkata Knight Riders. Furthermore, he got his international career off to a rollicking start as he became the 17th Indian to score a hundred on Test debut with his knock of 171.
India advance to semi final with 23-run win
Meanwhile, courtesy of Gill’s innings and Rinku Singh’s blitzkrieg (37* off 15) in the end India posted 202/4 vs Nepal and went on to win the match by 23 runs. Nepal gave a tough fight with Dipendra Singh Airee (32 off 15) and Sundeep Jora (29 off 12) top scoring for their team.
However, Avesh Khan (3/32) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/24) managed to restrict Nepal to 179/9 helping India qualify for the semi-final of the event. The Men in Blue will play the first semi-final at the same venue on Friday, October 06.