Arvind kumar muthu krishnan

FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers: The Indian men's basketball team put up a spirited fight against a higher-ranked Iran in their Group E clash of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers but ended up losing the match 53-86 at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi stadium here on Monday.

Ranked 81st in the FIBA Rankings, India were the underdogs against the 27th-ranked Iran but the hosts started with a lot of gumption as the packed stadium cheered them throughout the hour-long match. Forward Pranav Prince impressed with his interceptions in the initial few minutes as the hosts took a two-point lead in the first minute.

Iran took time to get into their rhythm but moved ahead, using their superior physicality to get past the Indian defence. But the hosts were definitely in the game, trailing by just three points at the end of the first quarter.