It was a performance of pure grit and determination as the Indian men’s basketball team pulled off an upset by beating higher-ranked Kazakhstan 88-69 in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers at the Nehru Stadium here on Monday.
Pranav Prince was the standout performer for the side, with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists to his name while Vladimir Ivanov led the scoring charts for Kazakhstan with 15.
With this, India kept itself in contention for a spot in the 16-team Finals, taking place in Saudi Arabia next August.
Pranav Prince was the standout performer for India, with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists to his name. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon started the proceeding for India, swishing the ball from the three-point line. The side looked much more solid in defence, forcing the visitor to commit errors and give away the ball one too many times in the first quarter.
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With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Vadim Chsherbak scored a three-pointer to bring Kazakhstan back into the game. Amjyot Singh responded with a triple to level things up, but Askar Maydekin and Vladimir scored 12 points in between to give Kazakhstan a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Unlike the previous match against Qatar, the Indian side attacked the basket more but failed to convert the plethora of chances, with the rim denying the players on most occasions. India finished the quarter with a poor offensive showing, converting only three out of its 18 attempts at scoring.
Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu gave India a much-needed boost at the start of the second quarter, draining back-to-back threes to cut the lead down to three. Both teams became increasingly physical as the game progressed, dishing out fouls at either end as the scoreboard kept ticking.
Midway through the quarter, Pranav got into the groove, capitalising on a couple of loose balls to draw India level at 29-29. With less than two minutes remaining, veteran Amjyot took responsibility and scored two three-pointers to give his side a 37-33 lead at the break.
At the start of the third quarter, local talent Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi and Sahaij Pratap found the hoop from behind the three-point line to give India a 12-point lead, much to the excitement of the fans in the stands.
Kazakhstan captain Shaim Kuanov tried his best to stage a comeback for his side, scoring seven points in less than two minutes. Chsherbak then went on to chip away at India’s lead with consecutive threes.
However, Indian coach Scott Flemming’s constant substitutions worked like a charm as Kushal Singh came off the bench for the first time in the tournament to complete a driving layup and score from the free throw line in the dying seconds of the quarter.
Heading into the final quarter with a nine-point lead, India did not let its foot off the gas, going at Kazakhstan from the ends of the court. Kanwar scored five points in 24 seconds to set India on course to a famous victory.
“Kanwar’s back-to-back 3s in the second quarter were definitely a turning point in the game,” Indian coach Scott Flemming said during the post-match press conference
“We were kind of struggling at that point, trying to get back into the game. He hit those shots and it energised the team and we kind of took off from there,” he added.
With four minutes left in the game, Palpreet Singh Brar slammed the final nail into the coffin, dunking the ball into the basket after receiving the ball from Pranav.
Despite the win, India remains last in its group, but the win will boost its confidence ahead of the final two matches of qualifiers against Iran and Qatar in February next year.
India needs to finish in the top two of its group to guarantee a place in the 16-team Finals. If India places third, it will enter a playoff round with the other five third-placed teams for the remaining four spots.
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