That's It! Victory for team India! They clinch the Asia Cup 2023 title with an absolutely dominant victory in the final. The openers took no time to reach the target as they played some exquisite shots and raced to the finishing line, powering India to a record extending eighth title victory.
Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill look in a hurry as since the first over they have played some really good shots and almost raced to the target in no time.
With a total of only 51 runs as the target, Rohit Sharma decides to send Ishan Kishan in place of him to open the batting with Shubman Gill and India get off to a steady start with 7 runs in the first over.
Hardik Pandya has two in two balls and it has ended Sri Lanka's innings for just 50 runs! Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bat first and their innings never really got going. Mohammed Siraj was the star for India in this innings taking six wickets including four in one over! It has been a sorry performance from Sri Lanka with Kusal Mendis top-scoring with 17 runs.
OUT! One more wicket here and this time, it is Hardik Pandya. Dunith Wellalage tried to hit a shot of a short ball by Pandya which was dug in on the leg-side and KL Rahul completes a simple catch. The slide continues for Sri Lanka. Dunith Wellalage c KL Rahul b Hardik Pandya 8(21)
OUT! And it gets better for Mohammed Siraj, who has now taken his sixth wicket in the match, in just his sixth over. He has been right on the money and has castled Kusal Mendis who went for a shot on the up. Sri Lanka in deep deep trouble with their recognized batter gone. Kusal Mendis b Mohammed Siraj 17(34)
The first 10 overs of this match has been a very dramatic one! And Mohammed Siraj has played the main part, taking a five-wicket haul in just 16 balls! He has almost singlehandedly put Sri Lanka in a big spot of bother, with them badly needing a partnership to get some sort of momentum. India on the other hand, will look out for more wickets and close out this innings as early as possible with such a startl
OUT! Mohammed Siraj is unplayable at the moment! He has a five-wicket haul, having bowled just three overs! He has now castled Dasun Shanaka with Sri Lanka in dire straits at the moment! Dasun Shanaka b Mohammed Siraj 0(4)
OUT! Make it four wickets in one over! Mohammed Siraj is on fire and he is too hot to handle for Sri Lanka at the moment. After breaking the back of the batting order, Siraj now has the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva, who edged the ball behind and KL Rahul completed a simple catch. Sri Lanka falling apart completely! Dhananjaya de Silva c KL Rahul b Mohammed Siraj 4(2)
OUT! Mohammed Siraj is producing his magic now with three wickets in one over! The first one was Pathum Nissanka with Ravindra Jadeja pulling off a good catch. Next up, he trapped Sameera Samarawickrama lbw. Next up, it is Charith Asalanka who hit the ball upplishly with Ishan Kishan taking a good catch. Siraj on a hat-trick and India are off to a fine start with Sri Lanka reeling big time! Pathum Nissanka c Ravindra Jadeja b Mohammed Siraj 2(4), Sadeera Samarawickrama lbw b Mohammed Siraj 0(2), Charith Asalanka c Ishan Kishan b Mohammed Siraj 0(1)
After weeks of some intense cricketing action, it is time for two of Asia's best sides in India and Sri Lanka to settle the score and gain bragging rights. India almost came up with a perfect Asia Cup 2023 campaign leading up to the final if not for their six-run loss to Bangladesh in the last Super Four stage match. The Men in Blue rested most of their senior players for this match and the inexperience in the middle-order showed as India messed up the run chase despite Shubman Gill scoring a magnificent hundred. Both teams have had very different routes to the final. For India, it was a victory over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring thriller which saw them enter the final with one game in the Super Four stage in hand. Dasun Shanaka's side on the other hand, had to take a more adventurous route as they overcame Pakistan in an absolute nail-biter to secure a spot in the summit clash. India, having beaten Sri Lanka earlier in the competition, would hope they pull off the same result this time around. But at the same time, they would be wary of the threat that the defending champions possess, with young Dunith Wellalage breaking the back of the batting the last time. India vs Sri Lanka Prediction: Google Win Probability Picks India to Beat Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2023 Final.
Sri Lanka in contrast, would want their batters to put up a complete show against India. The last time, they had failed to chase down a low total despite a lot of resistance shown from the middle and lower orders. The Lankan Lions have won the Asia Cup six times prior to this tournament and know how to perform in such high-pressure contests. But beating India, a side that will see all the big players making a return, would be tough. Both teams have had injury setbacks with India losing Axar Patel and Sri Lanka not being without Maheesh Theekshana for this final. Players as well as fans would also keep note of the weather with there being a rain forecast. But fortunately, there's a reserve day for this match and should the game be called off today, the action can resume tomorrow.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul(w), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Washington Sundar,
Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Sahan Arachchige, Dushan Hemantha, Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne