Indian Team with the Asia Cup 2023 Trophy
Played on 17th September 2023, the match saw India dominate right from the start and register a thumping victory to clinch the title. It was a tournament where the Indian team stood tall above everyone else, showcasing consistency and strength throughout. With such a commanding win in the final, the trophy was sealed in remarkable fashion by India.
One of the shortest finals of the Asia Cup unfolded on September 17, 2023, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where India delivered a crushing 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. The match, which lasted just 92 deliveries for Sri Lanka’s innings and 37 for India’s chase, showcased a clinical performance by the Indian bowling attack led by Mohammed Siraj and a swift batting display by openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan. Sri Lanka were bowled out for a mere 50 runs in 15.2 overs, their second-lowest ODI total, while India chased the target in just 6.1 overs, finishing at 51/0 with 263 balls to spare. Below is a detailed summary of both innings.
Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first after winning the toss quickly turned into a nightmare as India’s pace bowlers, particularly Mohammed Siraj, exploited the conditions to devastating effect. The pitch, described as dry but offering movement, especially under overcast skies, set the stage for a dramatic collapse. Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, already weakened by the absence of key bowlers like Maheesh Theekshana, crumbled under pressure, managing just 50 runs in 15.2 overs, making it one of the most one-sided innings in an international final.
The innings began with Jasprit Bumrah steaming in for India, immediately finding swing. In the very first over, he dismissed Kusal Perera for a two-ball duck, caught by KL Rahul behind the stumps after a length ball angled across the left-hander took the outside edge. Sri Lanka were 7/1 after the first over, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis at the crease. However, it was Siraj who turned the game on its head in his second over, the fourth of the innings, producing a spell for the ages. Operating with three slips, Siraj ripped through the top order with four wickets in a single over, a rare feat in ODI cricket, joining the likes of Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga in this exclusive club.
Siraj’s first victim in the fateful fourth over was Pathum Nissanka (2 off 4), caught brilliantly by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point after Nissanka’s attempted push resulted in an edged shot. Sadeera Samarawickrama followed immediately, trapped lbw for a duck after a length ball nipped back to hit him on the knee roll, with ball-tracking confirming it would clip the top of leg stump. Charith Asalanka, one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable batters, lasted just one ball, pushing at a full delivery outside off and edging to Ishan Kishan at cover. Dhananjaya de Silva, facing a hat-trick ball, managed a boundary but fell next ball, edging a slightly fuller delivery to Rahul, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 12/5.
Siraj wasn’t done. In his next over, he claimed his fifth wicket, bowling Dasun Shanaka for a four-ball duck with a full delivery that uprooted the off stump. By the end of the sixth over, Sri Lanka were 13/6, with Siraj’s figures reading an astonishing 3-1-5-5. Kusal Mendis, the only batter to offer some resistance, was dismissed in Siraj’s sixth over for 17 off 34 balls, bowled through the gate by a ball that nipped back sharply. Siraj ended with 6/21 from seven overs, the second-best figures in an Asia Cup final and the joint-fastest five-wicket haul in ODI history, achieved in just 16 balls.
Hardik Pandya joined the attack in the 11th over, dismissing Dunith Wellalage (8 off 21) with a well-directed bouncer that the batter gloved to Rahul. By this point, Sri Lanka’s hopes of a recovery were nonexistent. Dushan Hemantha (13 off 15) and Pramod Madushan (1 off 6) offered fleeting resistance, with Hemantha hitting a boundary and a six off Siraj, but the end came swiftly. Pandya wrapped up the innings in the 15th over, dismissing Madushan, caught by Virat Kohli at slip, and Matheesha Pathirana, caught by Kishan at point, for ducks. Sri Lanka’s total of 50 was their second-lowest in ODIs, and the innings concluded in under an hour, before sunset, a testament to India’s relentless bowling.
The Indian seamers exploited the pitch’s movement expertly, with Siraj’s swing and seam movement proving unplayable. Bumrah (1/23) and Pandya (3/3) complemented Siraj’s heroics, while Kuldeep Yadav bowled just one over for a solitary run. The Lankan batters, rattled by early wickets, failed to adapt, with several top-order players guilty of poor shot selection.
Chasing a meagre 51, India’s openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan approached the task with confidence, wasting no time in sealing the victory. With the same conditions that had undone Sri Lanka, swing and seam movement under overcast skies, India opted for a left-right opening combination, sending Kishan to open alongside Gill instead of captain Rohit Sharma. The move paid off, as the duo knocked off the runs in just 6.1 overs, finishing unbeaten on 51/0 and securing India’s eighth Asia Cup title with 263 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka opened with Pramod Madushan, who bowled with two slips, hoping to replicate India’s early breakthroughs. However, the Indian openers were unfazed. The first over saw Gill whip a full delivery on the pads through midwicket for four, while Kishan punched a full ball down the ground for three. Madushan’s swing was evident, but the batters played with assurance, capitalizing on loose deliveries. The second over, bowled by Matheesha Pathirana, went for 10 runs, with Kishan guiding a short, wide ball over first slip for four and slapping another through point. Pathirana’s pace, touching 139kph, offered little threat as overthrows gifted India extra runs.
By the end of the second over, India were 17/0, needing just 34 more runs. Madushan’s second over was costly, conceding 15 runs. Gill, in sublime form, drove a full, wide ball through the covers for four, then danced down the track to loft another boundary through the same region. A third boundary came off a short ball, pulled through midwicket, showcasing Gill’s adaptability and timing. Kishan, meanwhile, benefited from a leg-bye off a fuller ball, keeping the scoreboard ticking. At 32/0 after three overs, India were cruising, with Gill on 18 off 8 and Kishan on 13 off 10.
Sri Lanka introduced spin in the fourth over with Dunith Wellalage, hoping to exploit any turn on the dry pitch. However, the move made little difference. Gill drove a full toss to deep extra cover for one, while Kishan worked a full delivery to long-on. Wellalage kept things tight, conceding just two runs, but the target was too small to mount a serious defense. Pathirana returned for the fifth over, but his erratic line cost Sri Lanka dearly. A low full toss on the pads was clipped for four by Gill, and Kishan crunched a full toss square for another boundary. Despite a yorker and a defended ball, Pathirana leaked 11 runs, leaving India needing just six runs after five overs.
Wellalage bowled the sixth over, with India on 45/0. Gill smoked a tossed-up delivery through extra cover for four, leveling the scores. The next three balls were defended, but Kishan swept a good-length ball to deep square leg for a single, bringing India within one run of victory. Charith Asalanka was brought on for the seventh over, and Kishan sealed the win with a single to long-off off the first ball, sparking celebrations among the Indian players and fans.
Gill finished unbeaten on 27 off 19 balls, including six fours, while Kishan scored 23 off 18 with three fours. Their aggressive yet composed approach ensured no wickets fell, a stark contrast to Sri Lanka’s batting collapse. The Lankan bowlers, led by Madushan (2-0-21-0) and Pathirana (2-0-21-0), struggled to find consistency, with loose deliveries punished ruthlessly. Wellalage (2-0-7-0) and Asalanka (0.1-0-1-0) had little time to make an impact, as India’s openers raced to the target in just 37 balls.
The chase showed India’s batting depth and adaptability, with Gill and Kishan handling the swinging conditions with ease. The victory was a fitting end to India’s dominant Asia Cup campaign, where they showcased their bowling prowess and batting firepower.