India edged past Sri Lanka in a thrilling Asia Cup clash, winning via Super Over after scores were tied at 202. Abhishek Sharma starred with 61, while Arshdeep Singh’s superb Super Over sealed the win. India now gear up to face Pakistan in the final.
India defeated Sri Lanka in a thrilling clash in the ongoing Asia Cup. The match ended on level terms after 40 overs of ruthless display of aggression. Batting first, Abhishek Sharma once again stole the show with his blistering knock of 61 runs off 51 balls, while Tilak Varma made an unbeaten 49 runs. Courtesy of their onslaught, the Men in Blue posted 202 runs on the board, which is the highest total in this edition of the Asia Cup.
Abhishek’s form is a massive positive for the side, but India have multiple things to address ahead of the final against Pakistan. The first thing would be captain Suryakumar Yadav’s form. He flopped in international cricket in 2025, and if he fails to return to form, India could be put in trouble. Shubman Gill, too, has failed to live up to the potential.
The 26-year-old has shown glimpses of class but has failed to establish his authority in the middle. The opener was trusted heavily in the powerplay, and he has managed to give good starts on a few occasions but the youngster will have to convert his starts. However, Sanju Samson’s return to runs will surely be a massive boost for the side.
When it came to the chase, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera stole the show. The duo stitched a partnership of 127 runs and were close to pulling off a remarkable win at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, after Perera departed after scoring 58 runs off 32 balls, things slightly got complicated. Nevertheless, Nisasnka tried to keep the scoreboard ticking, despite having little support from the other end.
He ended up scoring 108 runs and that was expected to be curtains for Sri Lanka, but Dasun Shanaka played a stunning knock of unbeaten 22 runs off 11 balls as the match went to the super over.
What happened in the Super Over?
Bowling first, India’s Arshdeep Singh picked the wicket of Kusal Perera in the first ball itself. It was strange as the Lankan Lions didn’t prefer Nissanka as one of the options. Meanwhile, Arshdeep bowled a fantastic over, to say the least, as Sri Lanka posted just two runs in the middle.
When it came to the chase, it was absolutely a cakewalk for India, winning the game in the first ball of the Super Over itself. Suryakumar hit the winning runs.
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarty
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Janith Liyanage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara