The Asia Cup 2025 is nearing its grand finale, and match 18 between India and Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday brought plenty of excitement despite being a dead rubber in the context of the tournament. With India already set to face Pakistan in the final on Sunday, this encounter was all about building momentum for India and pride for Sri Lanka, who bowed out of the race after inconsistent performances in the Super 4 stage.
India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025: Toss and Team News
Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and made the bold decision to bowl first under the lights of Dubai. His counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav, leading India with confidence, looked determined to maintain the team’s unbeaten streak.
India Playing XI
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Suryakumar Yadav (c)
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Shubman Gill
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Ruturaj Gaikwad
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Tilak Varma
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Sanju Samson (wk)
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Hardik Pandya
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Ravindra Jadeja
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Kuldeep Yadav
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Mohammed Siraj
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Arshdeep Singh
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Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lanka Playing XI
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Pathum Nissanka
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Kusal Perera (wk)
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Charith Asalanka (c)
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Dhananjaya de Silva
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Sadeera Samarawickrama
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Angelo Mathews
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Wanindu Hasaranga
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Nuwan Thushara
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Dilshan Madushanka
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Matheesa Pathirana
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Maheesh Theekshana
First Innings: India Batting Performance
India’s openers Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad started cautiously, negotiating the early swing from Madushanka and Thushara. While Gill looked fluent with elegant drives through covers, Gaikwad once again struggled to accelerate and was dismissed cheaply.
Tilak Varma walked in at number three, eager to prove his mettle in the middle order. Despite his promising stroke play, he couldn’t convert his start into a big score, which has been India’s main concern throughout the tournament.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav showcased his trademark flair with audacious shots over extra cover and fine sweeps, building a steady partnership with Sanju Samson. Their stand stabilized the innings after two early wickets. Samson, playing his first match in the tournament, looked confident behind the stumps and added valuable runs with the bat.
The finishing touches came from Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, who counter-attacked the Lankan spinners. Their quick-fire knocks propelled India to a competitive total of 281/7 in 50 overs.
Top Scorers for India
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Suryakumar Yadav – 68 (off 55 balls)
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Shubman Gill – 47 (off 61 balls)
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Hardik Pandya – 42* (off 28 balls)
Sri Lanka’s Chase: Struggling Against Indian Bowlers
Chasing 282 under the lights at Dubai has always been challenging, and the Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera walked in under pressure. Jasprit Bumrah, opening the attack, immediately set the tone with a fiery first over that produced swing and bounce.
Sri Lanka lost Kusal Perera early, caught behind by Samson, while Nissanka played a few crisp strokes before falling victim to Mohammed Siraj’s seam movement. The responsibility then fell on skipper Charith Asalanka and veteran Angelo Mathews to rebuild.
However, India’s spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja tightened the screws in the middle overs. Asalanka tried to break free with boundaries, but Jadeja dismissed him with a sharp turning delivery.
From there, the Lankan innings never recovered. Despite a late resistance from Wanindu Hasaranga, the required run rate kept climbing. Eventually, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 219 in 44.2 overs, handing India a 62-run victory.
Top Performers with the Ball for India
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Kuldeep Yadav – 3/41
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Jasprit Bumrah – 2/29
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Ravindra Jadeja – 2/36
Key Talking Points from India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2025
India’s Middle-Order Woes Continue
Although Suryakumar and Samson steadied the innings, India’s middle order remains a concern. The inability of players like Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad to make big scores has raised questions ahead of the final.
Sri Lanka’s Batting Collapse
Sri Lanka’s batting frailties came to the fore once again. Their dependency on the top order has been a glaring weakness, and once the openers fell, they struggled to build partnerships.
Indian Bowlers Dominate Once More
The Indian bowling unit has been the standout feature of the tournament. With Bumrah’s early breakthroughs, Kuldeep’s spin variations, and Jadeja’s all-round performance, India looks formidable heading into the final.
Momentum Before the Final
This victory gives India a huge psychological boost ahead of the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final on Sunday. Staying unbeaten adds confidence, while the players will look to fix minor batting issues before the summit clash.
India vs Sri Lanka Head-to-Head in Asia Cup
India and Sri Lanka share a rich rivalry in the Asia Cup history, having faced each other over 20 times. India holds the upper hand in recent years, winning most encounters convincingly. Sri Lanka’s last Asia Cup victory against India came in 2014, but since then, India has dominated with superior batting depth and a lethal bowling lineup.
Asia Cup 2025 Final: The Road Ahead
With this win, India finishes the Super 4 stage unbeaten and now prepares for the ultimate showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan. All eyes will be on Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, India’s middle-order stability, and the battle of pace attacks.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will go back to the drawing board to address their inconsistency. Their promising start to the tournament was undone by poor shot selection and lack of penetration in bowling during crucial matches.
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Conclusion
The India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025 clash may not have influenced the tournament’s outcome, but it gave India a chance to fine-tune their skills before the final and exposed Sri Lanka’s need for stronger batting resilience. With a dominant win, India marches into the final with confidence, ready to face Pakistan in what promises to be a blockbuster encounter.
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