With their ticket to the Asia Cup final already punched, India’s upcoming Super Four match against Sri Lanka in Dubai might seem like just another game. However, for the dominant eight-time champions, this encounter offers a valuable chance to sharpen their skills and address any lingering issues before the big Sunday showdown. They cruised through the group stage, securing their Super Four spot even before facing first-time participants Oman, and now, a similar scenario unfolds against the Lankans.
The fact that India, reigning T20 World Cup champions, has reached the final without hitting their absolute peak speaks volumes about their superiority in Asian cricket. Even during a recent match against Bangladesh, where they experienced some batting jitters after Abhishek Sharma’s impressive 75, they still managed a comfortable 41-run victory.
While there’s a tempting opportunity to rotate players and test the squad’s depth ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, the quick turnaround to the final suggests India might prioritize performance refinement. The primary concern needing immediate attention is their significantly poor catching, which has been a noticeable letdown in their last two outings.
Their fielding has been particularly sloppy, with at least four catches dropped against Pakistan and an even worse five against Bangladesh. Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who was on the receiving end twice in a single over, frankly admitted, “We can’t make excuses at this level. As a team, we absolutely must take these catches. Our fielding needs a serious improvement.”
Beyond fielding, India’s middle-order batsmen also need to find their rhythm. So far in the Super Four, the bulk of the scoring has come from openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who forged partnerships of 105 and 77. The team’s strategy of batting flexibility seems to have left Sanju Samson without a settled role; after opening earlier in the tournament, he looked unconvincing even during his fifty against Oman and was surprisingly not used at number eight against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka’s journey in the tournament, unfortunately, ends after Friday’s match. Despite a strong start, securing wins against Afghanistan and Bangladesh to lead Group B, the six-time champions faltered at a crucial moment, losing consecutively to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Their struggle was evident against Salman Agha’s squad, where a meager 133 for eight wasn’t nearly enough to challenge for a win.
On the bright side, Sri Lanka has five months until the T20 World Cup to regroup and refine their strategy. A victory against a strong Indian side, even in a match without direct implications for the final, would be a much-needed confidence booster.
Here are the squads for the upcoming match:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (Capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera.
The match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. IST.