India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2023 Final: The Player Battles That Might Decide The Title Contest

16.09.2023 - 17:23 sports.ndtv.com

The India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 final will pit two of the most consistent sides against each other in the continental extravaganza.

These two are two most successful teams in Asia Cup too. While India have won seven Asia Cup title across formats, Sri Lanka have won six.

Sri Lanka gave India a tough fight in their Super 4 encounter before losing in a low-scoring thriller. So, the final is expected to be a nail-biter.

Both teams have big and consistent stars who have flair as well as grit to bring home the trophy. India began with a washed-out match in Pallekele against Pakistan, whose fast bowlers rattled their top order and bowled them out for 266 in the only innings possible due to rain.

cricket Sri Lanka Cricket Team India Cricket Team Asia Cup 2023 India vs Sri Lanka cup player Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Dasun Shanaka India Sri Lanka Afghanistan Pakistan

The Asia Cup 2023 was a successful campaign for the Indian cricket team as it claimed its record-extending eighth title and so was the case with KL Rahul. The wicketkeeper-batter didn't have a good start to the tournament. He was making a return to international cricket after a long gap due to a thigh injury that saw him get under the knife, but a niggle forced him to miss the first two matches of Asia Cup as well. However, Rahul bounced back brilliantly with a 111 not out against Pakistan in the Super 4 match.

India's Tormentor At Asia Cup, Dunith Wellalage, Now Has A Special Insta DP. Virat Kohli Fans Take Note

Sri Lanka's young left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage took the Asia Cup by storm when he secured his maiden 5-wicket haul, single-handedly dismantling a formidable Indian batting lineup and bagging the wicket of top batters like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. With his exceptional spin magic, Wellalage became the youngest bowler to bag a five-wicket haul in the ODI format at the age of 20 years 246 days.

Watch: Virat Kohli Can't Keep Calm As Mohammed Siraj Runs To Stop Boundary On Own Bowling Against Sri Lanka In Asia Cup 2023 Final

It was a truly special performance from Mohammed Siraj as he completed a sensational five-wicket haul that included four wickets in one over during the Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka on Sunday. The Sri Lanka batters were left dumbstruck by the quality of Siraj's bowling as they had no answer for his disciplined display. After taking two wickets in the over, Dhananjaya De Silva connected with a full delivery from Siraj and with not many fielders in front of square, the fast bowler rushed towards the boundary and although he was not able to complete the save, his effort left Virat Kohli and his other teammates in splits.

Asia Cup 2023 Final: India Make Huge Changes To Playing XI Against Sri Lanka, Name Surprise Inclusion

The Indian cricket team made six changes to the playing XI from the side that lost the Super 4 match against Bangladesh as the Rohit Sharma-led side take on Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final on Sunday. Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj made their way back to the side while Washington Sundar was included in place of the injured Axar Patel. Patel played an impressive knock of 42 against Bangladesh but ended up suffering a left quadriceps strain.

India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, Asia Cup 2023 Final: India Face Sri Lanka, Aim For 8th Title

India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2023 Final, Live Updates:Team India will be squaring off against Sri Lanka in the much-awaited final of the Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday in Colombo. Both have 13 Asian titles between them and Sri Lanka have a history of sneaking into the tournament's final -- to the consternation of fans keen for any showdown between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

Asia Cup 2023: In Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam 'Shoot-out Match', Pakistan Star Leading: Ex-Chennai Super Kings Star

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have been two of the most celebrated batters among the modern-day greats. The sub-continent players have impressed in all three formats. Virat Kohli has so far played 111 Tests (8676 runs, average 49.29), 279 ODIs (13027 runs, average 57.38) and 115 T20Is (4008 runs, average 52.73). Pakistan captain Babar Azam, on the other hand, has so far played 49 tests (3772 runs, average 47.74), 107 ODIs (5380 runs, 58.47 average) and 104 T20Is (3485 runs, Average 41.48). Though Babar Azam is relatively much younger between the two, a comparison between has always dominated the narrative.