🏏India vs Sri Lanka, Final , Asia Cup 2023, Colombo 🏏

🏏India vs Sri Lanka, Final, Asia Cup 2023 🏏

~~~~~~~~~

With one eye on the Asia Cup and the other one on the World Cup, India and Sri Lanka meet each other in the final of the continental event in Colombo TODAY.

 India's 10th Asia Cup final (ODI and T20I combined) and Sri Lanka's 12th. 

The two giants are the most successful teams in the history of the tournament, and now they will be up against each other for one last time at R Premadasa Stadium in the Asian tournament.

India were the first to book their place in the trophy match, while Sri Lanka had to play a do-or-die game against Pakistan to reach here. 

Both have a rich history in the Asian tournament, with India winning the title the most times - seven (both ODI and T20I), while Sri Lanka stand just behind the Men in Blue with six combined titles to their name. 

Brace yourselves for an electrifying showdown that's set to make cricket history! India goes head-to-head with Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 Finals, and the excitement is off the charts!

Following commanding victories against Nepal and Pakistan, India had to play two close contests - resulting in a victory and a loss each - en route to the 2023 Asia Cup final. 

Much like how Sri Lanka saw their passage to the summit clash of a tournament that has already been played under the shadows of a much bigger goal, the upcoming World Cup. 

Not that TODAY'S encounter will be used as a glorified practice game, but the sheen of it is unlikely to be carried for too long.

PREDICTED PLAYING XI

India predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Sri Lanka predicted XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madhushan, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana

IND vs SL: Head-to-head: IND (97) – SL (57)

The win in the Super Four was India’s 97th ODI win against Sri Lanka in history. Both teams have played 166 ODIs, and Sri Lanka has 57 wins. 11 ODIs ended without a result, and one match ended in a tie.

IND vs SL: Weather Report

The weather forecast is good for today. There is 80 percent chances of rain. The maximum temperature will be 31°C, with 73 percent humidity and a wind speed of 19 km/h. There is also a reserve for the final.

The surface at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is one that is preferred by the pacers. The ball could move away in the early stages of the clash, and the batters will look to stay patient and amass big runs on the board. Opting to bowl first could prove to be a wise decision.

IND vs SL: Pitch Report

The pitch in Colombo offers help to everyone. Pacers and spinners get more help on this track, while batting will be a little difficult. It is not a high-scoring ground, so we might see a low-scoring thriller in the final.

Both teams are doing well, and India lost their last game. But overall, India have a better quality of players, as Sri Lanka have been suffering from a lot of injuries. 

Players to watch--

Shubman Gill (India)-

Indian opener Shubman Gill could be the best batter for India in the Asia Cup 2023 final. Gill was sensational for India in the first game, scoring 121 runs in 133 deliveries. He would look to put in a similar knock against Sri Lanka and guide his side to the title win.

Kuldeep Yadav (India)-

Star Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav could be the best bowler for India in the Asia Cup final. Kuldeep is one of the highest wicket-takers of the tournament and is in sensational form. His spell would be crucial for India to make major breakthroughs and hopefully win the game. 

Clear skies in Sri Lanka capital before India vs Sri Lanka final

IND vs SL Colombo Weather updates live: India's quest for Asian glory stands one step short in the Asia Cup 2023. India meet Sri Lanka in the final of the 14th edition of the ODI Asia Cup at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. But the weather has not been kind in Sri Lanka in this monsoon season. There have been some games interrupted due to the weather, and there is a prediction of showers in the Asia Cup final too. India's matches against Pakistan and Nepal were interrupted by rain, and Sri Lanka's game against Pakistan was also curtailed due to the inclement weather. 

But both teams have made it to the final of the tournament, as they finished on the top two in the Super Four. But as weather is likely to interrupt the final too, there is a reserve day for this contest.

There are certainly bigger areas of concerns for both teams to contend with, but not one that should leave them entirely dismayed. Has India found its best combination? Are Sri Lanka aware of its best pace pack and opening duo? One man down each - Axar Patel and Maheesh Theekshana - ruled out with their respective injuries, there is an opportunity for the finalists to go deeper in search of strong alternatives and back-ups.

If the last few games of the ongoing Asian championship offered anything apart from nail-biting contests, it was answers to a few questions.

Is batting depth overrated in ODIs? Is there really a need to compromise on the quality of bowling to fit in players with better batting reputations at Nos. 8 and 9?

While Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana played their part for Sri Lanka much like Bangladesh and Pakistan's lower order, the answer most notably came from India's Axar Patel.

Maheesh Theekshana has been ruled out of the final due to a hamstring injury and 27-year-old offspinner Sahan Arachchige has been named his replacement. Sri Lanka have other questions to answer though. Who are their two best pacers? What's their best opening combination?