Watch: R Sai Kishore gets emotional and sheds tears while singing national anthem on his India debut

R Sai Kishore picked one wicket and held onto three catches on his India T20I debut.

India's men’s team made their debut in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and were led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. They faced off against Nepal in the quarterfinals of the men’s cricket event, as they were seeded highly before the event began.

India won the toss and chose to bat first at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field in China. Yashasvi Jaiswal hammered 100 in 49 balls with 7 sixes and  8 fours. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube scored 25-runs each. But it was Rinku Singh, fiery 35* in 17 balls which took India past the 200 runs mark. India posted 202/4 in 20 overs.

In reply, Nepal gave India a run for their money scoring 179/9, and lost by only 23 runs. Dipendra Singh Airee (32), Kusal Malla, and Sundeep Jora with 29 runs each were the main scorers for Nepal. With this win, India progressed to the semi-final of the Asian Games men’s cricket event.   

R Sai Kishore sheds tears in emotion during the national anthem after making debut for India in Asian Games

A special moment captured attention when Sai Kishore took the field to sing India’s national anthem before the start of play. Donning the national jersey for the first time, he could not hold back his tears of joy.

A known player in India's domestic cricket, Sai Kishore has impressive numbers. From 49 T20s, he has 57 wickets with an economy of 5.48. He also has 113 wickets in first-class cricket and 73 more in List A.

The unfiltered feelings made clear what the occasion meant to him. Sai Kishore was selected for the Asian Games 2023 team in Hangzhou as part of a backup Indian contingent under Ruturaj Gaikwad after working hard on the domestic circuit.

In his maiden India outing, Sai Kishore claimed 1-25 in four overs and held three catches. In the process, he became the second cricketer, after Pakistan’s Hussain Talat, to take a wicket and three catches on men’s T20I debut.

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