Arshdeep Singh throughout the tremendous over of the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Sri Lanka at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
For a sport that was a useless rubber, there was excessive drama at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday (September 26, 2025). Under lights, India and Sri Lanka performed out a tie to depart the closing consequence to a Super Over. Pathum Nissanka’s elegant ton appeared set to assist the Lankans finish the Asia Cup with a comfort win in the Super Four stage whereas chasing 203, however India’s bowlers held their nerve in direction of the finish phases to convey their manner again into the contest.
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With 12 wanted off the closing over, Nissanka ended up hitting the first ball from Harshit Rana to Varun Chakaravarthy at quick superb leg. When Dasun Shanaka hit the penultimate supply for a boundary, the stress tilted again in Rana’s path. But on the closing ball, with Sri Lanka needing three for a win, Shanaka hit Rana in direction of long-on and scrambled again for 2 to pressure a tie-breaker.
Arshdeep Singh conceded simply two runs in the Super Over and claimed each wickets. India captain Suryakumar Yadav wanted only one ball to knock off the three-run goal as the defending champion continued their unbeaten run.
During the Lankan chase, Nissanka’s partnership of 127 runs with Kusal Perera was the spotlight. Pacers Arshdeep and Harshit, who got here in for Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube, had been attacked with glee early on. Nissanka’s dazzling hits took Sri Lanka to 72 for one after six overs.
Perera joined in on the act as soon as India launched spin. In the sixth over, he hoicked Axar Patel in direction of the square-leg boundary twice, after which slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav for a 4 in direction of midwicket. An similar shot in Varun Chakravarthy’s opening over additionally fetched a boundary. In the identical over, Nissanka raised his bat on reaching fifty off 25 balls.
Kuldeep, so typically the reply to a disaster, was unable to supply a wicket till his closing over. In the ninth over, his shorter lengths had been hammered in direction of midwicket as Perera additionally took simply 25 balls for his half-century.
Once Varun had Perera stumped in the thirteenth over, India seemed to tighten the screws by dismissing Charith Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis in fast succession. But Nissanka, who reached his ton with a straight six towards Arshdeep, had the alternative to complete the job at hand.
When India was batting, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson performed main roles. While Abhishek slammed a 31-ball 61, Tilak (49 n.o., 34b) and Samson (39, 23b) excelled in the latter phases.
Armed with a way to his insanity that seems nearly foolproof at the second, he emanated a way of function as soon as once more. carted a size ball by Theekshana into the blue-shaded seats over midwicket. When the thriller spinner supplied width, Abhishek’s free-flowing bat swing yielded a boundary over level. The 14-run second over obtained the 25-year-old going as India raced to 71 for one at the finish of the PowerPlay. In the course of, Abhishek’s third straight half-century, off 22 balls, had been introduced up.
Once Abhishek was dismissed, the setting was perfect for Tilak and Samson to notch up a rating that reinforces their confidence earlier than the closing. The alternative was grabbed with a 66-run partnership.
Published – September 27, 2025 01:07 am IST
