DUBAI: Defending champions India narrowly defeated Sri Lanka in a nail-biting Super Over finish during a T20 Asia Cup Super Four match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Despite the contest being a ‘dead rubber’ – with India already qualified for Sunday’s final against arch-rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka eliminated – the game proved to be the most exciting of the tournament, featuring a spectacular century from Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka.
The dramatic encounter saw Sri Lanka remarkably match India’s formidable total of 202-5, largely thanks to Nissanka’s superb 107 runs. His innings, the first individual century of this year’s tournament, showcased an impressive display of aggressive strokeplay that kept Sri Lanka’s hopes alive right to the end.
However, the drama quickly dissipated in the Super Over. Sri Lanka managed a mere two runs before losing both their wickets in just five deliveries to India’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav then casually knocked a single from the first ball bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga, securing victory for his unbeaten side.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, India, the reigning 20-overs world champions, posted the tournament’s inaugural 200-plus total. Opener Abhishek Sharma continued his sensational form, smashing his third consecutive fifty with a blazing 61 off just 31 balls. The world’s top-ranked T20 batter reached his half-century in a rapid 22 deliveries. While opening partner Shubman Gill fell cheaply for four and skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s run of low scores continued with 12, India’s momentum was maintained by solid contributions from Tilak Varma, who remained 49 not out, and Sanju Samson’s quickfire 39. India had rested their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the match, and Hardik Pandya bowled only one over before leaving the field.
Sri Lanka’s chase began precariously with Kusal Mendis dismissed for a duck in the first over. Yet, they recovered strongly to reach 72-1 after the initial six powerplay overs. Nissanka combined effectively with Kusal Perera, who also notched a half-century with 58 runs, forming a crucial 127-run partnership. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy eventually broke this threatening stand by dismissing Perera. Nissanka powered to his hundred off 52 balls, but his departure on the first ball of the final over, coupled with accurate Indian bowling, saw Sri Lanka also finish on 202-5, setting up the Super Over. Nissanka was deservedly named man-of-the-match for his outstanding effort.
Reflecting on the thrilling encounter, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed he had urged his team to approach the game as if it were a semi-final. “It felt like a final,” Yadav said. “The boys showed a lot of character after the first half in the second innings. It’s good to be on the winning side.” Looking ahead to the final, he emphasized the need for recovery. “Let’s have a good recovery tonight. Let us not think about that [the final] right now. Few boys had a lot of cramps today. Have a good recovery day tomorrow and we will turn up the same way we did today,” he added, stressing the importance of clear execution and fearlessness.
Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka praised his team’s spirited performance and the explosive hitting of Nissanka and Perera. “It was a fabulous game. I think we were in the game and we were handling the game pretty nicely until Varun and Kuldeep bowled those really nice overs. It was unbelievable hitting [by Nissanka and Perera],” Asalanka stated.
