India rest on their unbeaten run and will look to test finishing options against eliminated Sri Lanka
Sanju Samson’s unclear role continues with Jitesh Sharma waiting as a powerful finisher
India’s fielding lapses with ten missed catches pose a concern before the final
India head into Friday’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Four encounter, this editions last against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium on 26 September. Suryakumar Yadav’s men have secured their spot in the final vs Pakistan and will use this match as a chance to fine-tune their lineup.
Sri Lanka on the other hand, having lost both their Super Four games, are aiming to finish the tournament on a positive note. The Indian team management and skipper Suryakumar Yadav's focus will be on evaluating their middle-order, especially with Sanju Samson not fitting comfortably and Jitesh Sharma waiting in the wings.
Fielding has been an issue for India during the tournament, with ten dropped catches including five in one match against Bangladesh. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy admitted the team needs to start taking all chances, adding that the stadium’s floodlights sometimes affect vision. “As they say, you cannot give excuses at this level. As a team, we have to definitely start catching all those because we have qualified for the finals and we should be taking all those catches,” he said.
India’s top five batsmen have got starts, but the team is still searching for a dependable finisher. Shivam Dube was promoted to number four based on matchups but the balance with left-right combinations did not quite work. Samson’s role remains unclear as he has struggled to adapt to finishing, scoring a scratchy fifty against Oman. His past performances at the top keep him in the side for now, but Jitesh Sharma’s numbers in the IPL as a finisher are strong. At number five he has scored 374 runs in 18 innings at a strike rate of 147.8 and at number six, he averages an even higher strike rate of 167.
Fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged Samson is still figuring out his role. The Sri Lanka game could see a shuffle in the lineup, but India will likely rest Jasprit Bumrah again to manage workload before the final.
Sri Lanka enter the match looking to avoid a winless Super Four after losses to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Charith Asalanka leads their struggling side that includes key players like Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga. The toss is scheduled for 7:30 pm IST with the match starting at 8 pm IST.
Live Streaming for the India Vs Sri Lanka match will be available on SonyLiv and FanCode.
Dropped catches combined with environmental factors like the stadium’s lighting have hampered India’s fielding but the final demands no mistakes. Both teams look to sharpen their focus in this last Super Four clash ahead of the final on sunday when India plays Pakistan at the same venue.
India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson(w), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka(c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara, Dunith Wellalage, Kamil Mishara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Binura Fernando, Janith Liyanage
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