IND vs SL Asia Cup 2025, Super 4: Arshdeep Singh stars in Super Over as India beat Sri Lanka

The Indian cricket team continued its unbeaten run in the Asia Cup 2025 after defeating Sri Lanka in the Super Over in its final Super 4 game at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Friday.

India’s total of 202/5 was matched by Sri Lanka, who also made 202/5 at the end of their 20 overs as the match headed to a Super Over, where Arshdeep Singh kept Sri Lanka to mere two runs, picking up the wickets of Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka.

Suryakumar Yadav completed the formalities, scoring three runs off the first ball.

Earlier, Abhishek Sharma (61 off 31) top-scored for India, while Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka (107 off 58) notched the tournament’s first century.

With 203 to chase, Sri Lanka lost Kusal Mendis to Hardik Pandya for a duck in the first over. Nissanka and Kusal Perera then joined forces for Sri Lanka to take the powerplay score to 72/1.

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera continued to attack the Indian bowlers, with both batters bringing up 25-ball fifties as Sri Lanka reached 100 in the ninth over.

They soon brought up the 100-run partnership - the first in the T20Is against India since November 2023.

Varun Chakravarthy broke the stand in the 13th over, removing Kusal Perera for 58 to leave Sri Lanka at 134/2, still needing 69 off 50 balls.

Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh added to the pressure by getting the wickets of Charith Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis. The required rate climbed upwards with the fall of wickets, with Sri Lanka requiring 40 off 20.

However, dangerman Nissanka was still looking threatening at the crease and brought up his century - the first of Asia Cup 2025 - with a maximum in the 17th over, leaving Sri Lanka to get 33 off the final three overs.

Harshit Rana eventually got the wicket of Nissanka in the final over of the match with Sri Lanka still requiring 12 off five. However, he conceded 11 off the last five deliveries as the match went into a Super Over.

In the first innings, Sri Lanka struck early with Shubman Gill’s dismissal in the second over by Maheesh Theekshana. However, Abhishek Sharma counter-attacked immediately, smashing Theekshana for a boundary two balls later.

Abhishek then tore into Dushmantha Chameera in the fifth over, launching a six and two fours before racing to a 22-ball half-century. By the end of the powerplay, India had stormed to 71/1, with Abhishek on 52.

Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal to Wanindu Hasaranga, trapped LBW just after the powerplay, briefly stalled India’s charge. However, Abhishek kept attacking until he holed out to deep mid-wicket in the ninth over.

Abhishek Sharma’s knock not only anchored India’s innings in the first half but also took his tally to 309 runs in the tournament - the most by any batter in a single edition of a T20 Asia Cup, eclipsing Mohammad Rizwan’s 281 and Virat Kohli’s 276.

Sanju Samson then joined Tilak Varma and together they stitched a 66-run stand off 42 balls. Samson was dismissed in the 16th over with India on 158/4.

Tilak Varma and Axar Patel ensured India finished strong. The pair struck timely boundaries before Axar finished the innings with a last-ball six, lifting India to 202/5 - the highest total in the tournament.

India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Sunday. They have won the previous two matches against Pakistan in the ongoing tournament.

IND vs SL Asia Cup 2025, Super 4 match brief scores: India 202/5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 61, Charith Asalanka 1/18) tied with Sri Lanka 202/5 (Pathum Nissanka 107, Hardik Pandya 1/7).

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