Asia Cup Final: Sri Lanka Wins Toss, Chooses to Bat Against India; Match Delayed Due to Rain
Sri Lanka has won the toss and opted to bat first in the 2023 Asia Cup final against India. Dushan Hemantha and Washington Sundar have been included in the respective teams.
In the highly-anticipated 2023 Asia Cup final, Sri Lanka’s captain, Dasun Shanaka, has won the toss and decided to bat first against India at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. The match promises to be a thrilling contest between the two cricketing giants.
Sri Lanka has made a couple of changes to their lineup, with leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha coming in to replace the injured off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Pacer Kasun Rajitha has also returned to the playing eleven.
Captain Dasun Shanaka expressed his satisfaction with the team’s composition, especially the young talents, and acknowledged the strong crowd support. He mentioned, “Seems like a good wicket, there will be some turn in the afternoon. Last year, we weren’t able to get these crowds, but this time we are really fortunate.”
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On the other side, India has brought in off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar, who is making his ODI appearance after playing one against New Zealand earlier this year. This change was necessitated by the left-arm spin all-rounder Axar Patel’s injury during the Super Four match against Bangladesh on Friday.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, revealed that he would have also chosen to bat first due to the dry pitch conditions. He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to chase down any target set by Sri Lanka. Sharma said, “This is a good chance to go aggressive with the ball and see what the surface has to offer. We came really close last game, and anything above 240 on this surface is competitive.”
Sharma also praised the enthusiastic crowd, noting their strong support for both teams, with a slight bias towards Sri Lanka. He expressed hopes for a thrilling final that would entertain the spectators.
India has an impressive track record in the Asia Cup, having won the tournament seven times in the past. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has secured the Asia Cup title six times, including the T20I edition in 2022.
To accommodate fans who were unable to secure tickets for the final, the tournament organizers have set up giant screens at the Galle Face Green and P. D. Sirisena Ground for live viewing.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Pramod Madushan, and Matheesha Pathirana.