India and Sri Lanka produced one of the matches of the tournament in Dubai on Friday night, a Super Four clash that had all the drama of a grand finale. And fittingly, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted it felt just like one.
Put into bat, India piled up a strong 202/5 on the back of a blistering half-century from Abhishek Sharma, who hammered 61 off 31 balls. His fireworks at the top gave India the momentum before Sanju Samson (36) and Tilak Varma (34) carried it forward with composed yet attacking knocks.
Sri Lanka, though, refused to back down. Pathum Nissanka lit up the chase with a breathtaking 107 off 58 deliveries, while Kusal Perera added a rapid 58. The Lankans matched India blow for blow, finishing on the exact same score — 202/5 — to take the contest into a nerve-jangling Super Over.
With the game hanging in the balance, India turned to Arshdeep Singh, who held his nerve to restrict Sri Lanka to just 2/2. A calm Suryakumar then sealed the deal off the very first delivery of India’s reply, sparking celebrations in the dugout.
Speaking after the match, the Indian captain hailed his side’s grit under pressure.
“It felt like a final. The boys showed a lot of character after the first half in the second innings,” Surya said at the presentation.
He revealed he had told his players to treat the clash as a semi-final, with energy and intent key to their turnaround.
Suryakumar reserved special praise for Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma, who kept India’s innings on track after Abhishek’s explosive start. He also lauded Arshdeep’s calmness in the high-pressure Super Over.
“Arshdeep has been in that situation a lot of times and he has delivered for us. I told him to just back his plans, and he did exactly that,” he added.
India now shift focus to the blockbuster Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on Sunday, also in Dubai. But Surya insisted the team’s immediate priority was recovery after an energy-sapping contest.
“A few boys had cramps today. We’ll recover tomorrow and turn up the same way in the final. I just wanted them to be clear and fearless, and I think we achieved that,” he said.
For the fans, this Indo-Lanka thriller was a timely reminder of why the Asia Cup is more than just a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. For India, it was proof that under Suryakumar’s calm leadership, they can ride the storms and still come out smiling.
