IND vs SL: India secured a nail-biting 41-run win over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 encounter at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Tuesday. Kuldeep Yadav was once again the hero for India, as his 4-wicket haul helped the Men in Blue secure a spot in Asia Cup 2023 final. Team India’s win means that IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 final is still possible.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, India faced a stern test on a spin-friendly wicket. Dunith Wellalage and Charith Asalanka exploited the home conditions effectively, combining for nine wickets to restrict India to 213. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was the top scorer with a 53-run knock.
In response, Sri Lanka’s chase looked promising at one stage, thanks to a gritty 63-run partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage. However, Kuldeep along with Jadeja ended Sri Lanka’s resurgence with quality spells.
Indian cricket fans expressed their excitement over Team India reaching the final of Asia Cup after suffering few heartbreaks in the tournament in last few years.
Check out reactions:
Notably, India’s win over Sri Lanka has also given Pakistan a lifeline in the tournament. The Babar Azam and Co, who are currently third on Asia Cup 2023 points table, will now just need to beat Sri Lanka on Thursday to book third meeting with India in the tournament.
What if rain washes out PAK vs SL Asia Cup 2023 clash?
Pakistan fans would be hoping rain stays away on Thursday as a washout will push the Men in Green out of the tournament. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have 2 points after 2 games. However, Sri Lanka is ahead of Pakistan in terms of NRR. And in case of a washout, team with better NRR will qualify for the final.