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.
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. The Indians tried to counter Iran with fast-paced runs and converted over 40% of their two-pointers but struggled to counter Iran on the rebounds and paid the price for the same.
India, who had lost their Group E opener away to Kazakhstan, trailed 32-42 at halftime. Pranav Prince top-scored for the hosts with 11 points with Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan and Muin Bek Hafeez contributing nine points each. For Iran, Benham Yakhchali scored 15 points while Mohammad Amini and Salar Monji added 14 points each to the team.