Star Indian all-rounder Axar Patel praised Team India after a big victory over Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 semi-finalsScroll down to read the full story.
Published: October 1, 2026, 3:56 PM IST
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Axar Patel praised Team India after win over Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026
Team India played the semifinal clash against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026, where they displayed a phenomenal performance by defeating Sri Lanka by a big margin of 124 runsThis victory helped them to qualify for the finals of the tournament, where they will face their arch-rivals Pakistan in the gold medal clash.
This match was one-sided for the Men in Blue as they gave a 169-run target to their rivalsMeanwhile, defending the total was a piece of cake for the Indian team as they bowled out Sri Lanka for 45 runs in just 9.5 overs.
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After the match, star Indian all-rounder, Axar Patel opened up on their performance against Sri Lanka and said it was commendable for his team to put in such a commanding performance in the Asian Games semifinal against Sri Lanka despite the lack of training and competition ahead of the knock-out game here.
“But yeah, obviously, we had been waiting for quite a few days to playYou know, it was raining and the matches weren’t happening, but kudos to the team because when the match happened, I think everyone was switched on.”
“To put in such a performance after a long break, I think everyone did a very commendable job overall,” Axar Patel added.
India scored 169/7 on a cracked pitch, which Axar felt was a good total.
“Pakistan and Bangladesh also played on the same wicket, so we had seen that and estimated that 140-150 could be a winning totalSo when we got 160 (169), we thought we were somewhere around 10-15 runs above parWhen the match started, we were thinking 140-150.”
“The way things were happening in the first match, and the ball was moving with drift, turn and bounce, we felt that 140 to 150 would be a winning score,” he added.
He is also happy that Indian restaurants near their hotel are helping the players enjoy familiar food.
“There are Indian restaurants here, and we are getting packed food from them and eating thatWe are getting foodThere are three or four good Indian restaurants, and they make good food, so we are having packed food from themBut it’s very good.
“Obviously, cricket isn’t played that much in Japan, but I think the job they are doing is very commendableIn terms of the ground and the atmosphere, I think they are doing a very good job within their capabilitiesAnd in the coming years, I think it will be upgraded and they will provide even better conditions for cricket,” said Axar.
