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India completely dominated the Sri Lankan team in the below-average final clash, winning the game by 10 wickets and securing their eighth Asia Cup trophy, the most by any team in Asia Cup history.
Sri Lanka earned their spot in the final by narrowly defeating Pakistan by two wickets during the Super Four stage, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown against India.
India and Sri Lanka hold the record for the most ODI encounters between any two teams, with 166 matches. Out of these, India emerged victorious in 97, while Sri Lanka secured 57 wins. Additionally, 11 matches concluded with “no result,” and one ended in a tie.
Regarding the game itself, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first on the renowned batting-friendly pitch of R Premdasa Stadium in Colombo. Teams setting the target have traditionally enjoyed more favourable results than those chasing.
Sri Lanka aimed to post a substantial total, but Mohammed Siraj had different plans. He dismantled the Sri Lankan lineup in just the first six overs of the match, taking a five-wicket haul in that period. Jasprit Bumrah started with a wicket off the third ball, and then Siraj decimated the opposition’s batting order, claiming four wickets in the fourth over alone.
He returned to dismiss Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, completing his five-wicket haul in just his second over. Sri Lanka was reduced to 12/6 in only 5.4 overs, and the nightmare for the home team continued as Hardik Pandya took three wickets in quick succession, wiping out the entire Sri Lankan innings with two consecutive wickets.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for a mere total of 50 runs, which is their second-lowest score ever in ODIs. Mohammed Siraj was the hero for India, ending with career-best figures of 6/21, the best by any bowler in ODIs against Sri Lanka.
India then opened their innings with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, and the pair put on 32 runs in just three overs by hitting boundaries all around the ground. The duo continued to dominate, chasing down the total in just seven overs and winning the game by 10 wickets, securing their eighth Asia Cup trophy.
Mohammed Siraj, for his outstanding spell, won the Player of the Match award, while Kuldeep Yadav, for his exceptional bowling throughout the tournament, secured the Player of the Series award.
India will now face Australia in a three-match ODI series before the much-anticipated ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, which is set to take place from September 22 to September 27.
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