Asia Cup Final, IND vs SL | 5 Player Battles To Watch Out For
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul celebrate a SL wicket in Asia Cup 2023 (AP)
The stage is set for an India vs Sri Lanka final this Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 17.
While tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka will by taking field at the title clash off the back of their last-ball win over Pakistan, Rohit Sharma’s Indian troops will head into the final after having their high-flying run disrupted by Bangladesh.
India and Sri Lanka eventually concluded their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four campaigns by occupying the top two slots on the points table. As the two Asian titans brace themselves for a potential thriller, here at OneCricket we look at five possible player battles that may well decide the outcome of the match.
India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 Final: Player Battles to Watch Out
Rohit Sharma vs Maheesh Theekshana
Indian captain Rohit Sharma and young Sri Lankan spin talent Maheesh Theekshana may not have encountered each other much up to this point, but their imminent face-off this Sunday might well set the tone for an exciting Asia Cup final.
Sharma recently notched up three successive match-winning scores, while Theekshana has already pocketed eight wickets this competition, all while opening the innings with bat and ball respectively for their sides.
| Balls | Runs | Dismissals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma vs Maheesh Theekshana | 8 | 5 | 0 |
Pathum Nissanka vs Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka will be aiming to overcome India’s new-ball threat Jasprit Bumrah at the title clash. The right-handed batter is yet to convert any of his starts into a big one this tournament, and was caught behind by the Indian speed maverick amidst Sri Lanka’s tense Super Four run-chase for just six.
| Balls | Runs | Dismissals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka vs Jasprit Bumrah | 7 | 6 | 0 |
Virat Kohli vs Matheesha Pathirana
India’s number three and in-form batting veteran Virat Kohli will likely cross paths with Sri Lankan speed demon Matheesha Pathirana. The hosts’ pacer has also emerged as the leading wicket-taker so far this competition, and might well pose a threat to the charismatic Indian batter.
| Balls | Runs | Dismissals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli vs Matheesha Pathirana | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Dhananjaya de Silva vs Kuldeep Yadav
Dhananjaya de Silva is one of the few Sri Lankan batters who has managed to decode Kuldeep Yadav. The right-handed batsman defied Yadav for a major part of his side’s innings against India earlier this week, and formed a tense 63-run lower-order stand with Dunith Wellalage.
Moreover, Dhananjaya is yet to be dismissed by the veteran Indian spinner across all their white-ball interactions.
| Balls | Runs | Dismissals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhananjaya de Silva vs Kuldeep Yadav | 42 | 34 | 0 |
KL Rahul vs Dunith Wellalage
Young Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage finished with figures of 5-40 against India in their previous meeting earlier this week. Moreover, one of Wellalage’s five victims from the innings included middle-overs stabiliser KL Rahul.
Regardless, Rahul still averages 40 against the youngster throughout their ODI meetings this year.
| Balls | Runs | Dismissals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul vs Dunith Wellalage | 30 | 40 | 1 |
 "Aakash Saini")
