India have held their nerves to win this contest via a super over. The match went from one end to another and in the end, Sri Lanka lost their nerves at a crucial juncture. India kept fighting and in the end won the contest in the super over by the barest of margins. Put into bat first, India rode on Abhishek Sharma’s 61 and Tilak Varma’s 49* alongside Sanju Samson’s 39 to post 202/5 in 20 overs.
In reply, Pathum Nissanka led the way and scored a majestic maiden T20I ton as his 107 almost won the game. Kusal Perera made 58 while Dasun Shanaka made 22* off 11 balls as Sri Lanka too finished with 202/5. The match in a tie. Arshdeep Singh bowled a superb Super over keeping Sri Lanka down to 2/2 in 5 balls and then India chased down the target in one ball to stay unbeaten going into the finals.
Abhishek Sharma & Tilak Varma Powers India To 202/5.
Put into bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat for India while Nuwan Thushara had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Gill hit the first boundary of the game as he clipped Thushara through the midwicket region for a boundary. Maheesh Theekshana came into the attack from the other end as Abhishek welcomed him with a maximum over the deep midwicket region for the maximum. But Theekshana hit back as he got rid of Gill for 4 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name.
Theekshana bowled a length ball around fifth stump drifting in. Gill lunged forward and looked to drive it straight and failed to keep it down as Theekshana reacted to it quickly and dived to his left and plucked the ball out of thin air as he got two hands to it to grab a stunner. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Abhishek thrashed Theekshana to slash it away over the top of point for a boundary.
Thushara continued as Abhishek hit the high full toss away over backward point for a boundary as no ball was called due to height. The free hit went for a boundary as well as Sharma threw the kitchen sink at it and got the inside edge past the stumps down to fine leg fence for a boundary. Theekshana continued as Surya drove it through the covers for a boundary into the gap.
Dushmantha Chameera came into the attack next. Abhishek stepped down the track and lofted it over long-off for the maximum as the 50 came up for India in 4.3 overs. Abhishek was not done yet as he slammed back-to-back boundaries off Chameera through short fine leg and through deep backward point fence as well. Thushara changed ends. Abhishek hit the full toss around the fifth stump line to pump it over top of extra cover for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Abhishek hit another boundary to pull it to deep backward square leg for a boundary as he got to his half-century off 22 balls as he registered a hat-trick of fifties in Asia Cup 2025.
At the end of the powerplay, India were 71/1 and were off to a great start. Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack post the powerplay. He struck immediately as he got rid of Suryakumar Yadav for 12 off 13 balls with one four to his name. Hasaranga bowled a loopy delivery full around the middle stump line from Hasaranga. Surya got down on one knee and looked to play the sweep shot. He missed it on the inside edge and wore it on the front boot. This looked OUT. SKY reviewed in hope and burnt the review in the process. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. He got off the mark straightaway.
Dasun Shanaka came into the attack next. Abhishek then hit Shanaka through long-off as the ball raced away to the fence for a boundary. Captain Charith Asalanka came into the attack soon. Tilak hammered him through the covers for a boundary. Asalanka then got the big fish as he removed Abhishek Sharma for 61 off 31 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name. It was a short ball around off-stump that gripped and straightened. Abhishek rocked back and looked to pull it away into the deep midwicket stands. He mistimed it from the toe end of his blade as Kamindu at deep midwicket settled underneath it and took a comfortable catch. Sanju Samson came out to bat next.
He got off the mark soon. Chameera returned to the attack as Tilak leaned forward and drove through the covers for a boundary. The 100 came up for India in 10 overs as the Men in Blue reached 100/3 in 10 overs when players took paused for the Drinks Break. Hasaranga returned after the Break as Samson welcomed him with a pull shot square of the wicket at deep backward square leg. Asalanka continued as Tilak took him on by getting down on a knee and played the slog sweep in front of square for a maximum over deep midwicket.
Hasaranga returned as Samson carted him straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum. The batters took ones and twos to make it a big over. Theekshana came back into the attack. He bowled a decent 14th over. Hasaranga came back to bowl his final over. Samson took him on and went straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between Tilak and Samson. After 15 overs, India were 150/3 and well-placed to get a formidable score on the board.
Dasun Shanaka returned to the attack. Samson launched Shanaka by pumping it over deep midwicket for the maximum as Shanaka overstepped as well. Free Hit came up next which did not yield anything. Shanaka then redeemed himself as he got rid of Samson for 39 off 23 balls with one four and 3 sixes to his name. Shanaka bowled a full length delivery on the off-stump line. It doesn’t sound well off the bat and hit him on the bottom half. Asalanka at extra cover kept his eyes on the ball back pedalled outside the circle and took a very good and well-judged catch over his head. The captain took a tough chance as Samson walked back to the hut. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Chameera came back into the attack and dismissed Pandya for 2 off 3 balls. He bowled from over the wicket and banged it short of a length on the off-stump line. Hardik didn’t move his feet much and mistimed a hard hitting pull shot in the air. The ball went high in the short midwicket region and not much distance on it. Chameera called for it himself charged a few more than a dozen metres to his right and dived to complete a stunning catch. Axar Patel came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Tilak hit Chameera by scooping it over short fine leg for a boundary.
Nuwan Thushara came to bowl his final over. Axar got into the act as he leaned towards the ball and sliced it very late. The ball went to the short third man fielder. Deep backward point did not chase it down. Theekshana came to bowl the 19th over as Tilak hit him for a boundary by a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Axar survived a run out scare as the direct hit at the bowler’s end was missed by the keeper Kusal Mendis.
Dushmantha Chameera came to bowl the final over of the innings. Axar hit the last ball of the innings for the maximum as he hit it across the line and cleared the field to the left of deep midwicket. The ball went for a flat hit for the maximum as India got past 200 runs. They finished with 202/5 in 20 overs the highest team score in Asia Cup 2025. Tilak finished with an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name while Axar Patel chipped in with 21* off 15 balls with one four and one six to his name. 14 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard toil for the Sri Lankan bowlers with everyone bagging a wicket each except Nuwan Thushara who went wicketless. So, a wicket apiece for Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, and Charith Asalanka while Nuwan Thushara finished with 0/43 in 4 overs. This meant Sri Lanka needed 203 runs to win off 20 overs to win this match.
Pathum Nissanka’s maiden T20I ton ties the game; India wins in super over.
Chasing 203 for the win, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis came out to bat for Sri Lanka while Hardik Pandya had ball in hand for India. Nissanka started off with a bang with a boundary through the backward point region. But Hardik provided the breakthrough for India as he got rid of Kusal Mendis for a golden duck. Hardik bowled an outswinger on a length around the sixth stump line, Mendis looked to feel for it away from his body. He got a thick outside edge as Gill took a good catch at first slip. Kusal Perera came out to bat next.
He survived a close LBW shout as India burned a review with the ball pitching outside the leg stump. Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand from the other end. Kusal Perera took him on and flat batted it to long-on for a boundary. Harshit Rana was introduced into the attack. Perera flat batted it down the ground for a boundary. Kusal hit another boundary with a thick outside edge down to third man region. Nissanka then took the attack to Arshdeep as he hit him over deep midwicket for the maximum. The next ball went away over extra cover for a boundary.
Nissanka then took the attack to Harshit Rana as he hit him for a boundary and a maximum to bring up the 50 for Sri Lanka in 4.3 overs. Nissanka was not done yet as he took on Harshit and deposited him over midwicket for the maximum. Axar Patel came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Kusal took the attack to Axar smashing him for back-to-back boundaries. At the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were 72/1 in 6 overs, and they were in the game.
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack post the powerplay. Perera took him on and slog swept him away for a boundary to deep midwicket. Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack next. Kusal was on a roll as he swept to deep midwicket for a boundary. Nissanka reached yet another half-century off 25 balls. Kusal took the attack to Kuldeep Yadav by hitting him over wide long-on for the maximum and hit another ball to deep midwicket for a boundary as Perera reached his fifty in 25 balls. The Sri Lanka’s 100 came up in 8.5 overs.
Soon, the 100-run stand came up between the two players out there. Nissanka launched him over long-on for the maximum. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, Sri Lanka were in pole position at 114/1 in 10 overs and were in the box seats to win the contest when players took the Drinks Break. Harshit Rana came back after the break as Kusal welcomed him back with a boundary between backward point and deep point. Nissanka clubbed the pull shot over deep midwicket for the maximum. He hit another boundary and sliced it between backward point and short third man for a boundary.
Kuldeep came back into the attack. He bowled a miserly over. Varun Chakaravarthy returned and got the breakthrough for India dismissing Kusal Perera for 58 off 32 balls with 8 fours and a maximum to his name. He bowled a length ball around the fifth stump line googly. Perera stepped down the track and swung his bat across the line and was nowhere to the pitch of the ball. He got beaten on the outside edge and Samson did the rest behind the stumps. Captain Charith Asalanka walked out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Axar Patel returned as Nissanka hit him for a boundary by pulling it through deep midwicket and deep square leg.
Varun continued and was smashed through the covers by a boundary through the covers. At the end of 15 overs, Sri Lanka were 157/2 needing 46 off 30 balls. Kuldeep Yadav got rid of Asalanka for 5 off 9 balls. Kuldeep from over the wicket tossed it up full around middle stump line, turned away from the batter. Asalanka backed away for room and went for the big slog sweep across the line. He mistimed it from the toe end of his blade. Gill at long-on settled underneath it and took a comfortable catch. Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next. Kuldeep’s over yielded only 4 runs.
Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack. He got rid of Kamindu for 3 off 7 balls. He bowled a short of a good length around off-stump. Mendis went deep in his crease and went for the big heave across the line. He got a top edge which went straight up in the air. Axar Patel settled underneath it at deep backward square leg and took a comfortable catch. Dasun Shanaka came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Nissanka got to his maiden T20I century with a maximum over the bowler’s head to get to the milestone in 52 balls. Axar came to bowl the 18th over as Shanaka launched him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Arshdeep came to bowl the 19th over. Runs came in ones and twos till Shanaka hit a boundary over mid-on as the ball went away to the long-on fence for a boundary to bring the equation down to 12 off 6 balls.
Harshit Rana was tasked to bowl the final over and he got rid of Nissanka for 107 off 58 balls with 7 fours and 6 sixes to his name. Harshit from over the wicket bowled a full delivery around the middle stump line. Nissanka shuffled across the stumps and tried to use the pace of the ball and whip it away behind square on the middle. He hit it straight to Varun at short fine leg who didn’t move an inch and grabbed a sharp catch at the edge of the circle. Janith Liyanage came out to bat next.
He managed to get a brace to get off the mark and get a bye to bring Shanaka on strike. Shanaka got a brace next ball and then hit a boundary through the third man region to bring it down to 3 off 1 ball. Shanaka hit it down to wide long-on for a brace as Sri Lanka tied the scores at 202/5 in 20 overs. Shanaka’s innings consisted off 2 fours and a maximum in his 22* off 11 balls. Liyanage was unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls. 5 extras given by the Indians.
Hardik Pandya bowled only one over and went for 7 runs while picking up a wicket. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/46 in 4 overs. Harshit Rana went for 54 runs in 4 overs for 1 wicket. Axar Patel went for 32 runs in 3 overs with 0 wickets taken. Kuldeep Yadav bowled well for his 1/31 in 4 overs while Varun Chakaravarthy finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. This meant that the match went into a super over.
In the super over, Arshdeep Singh prized out Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka to keep Sri Lanka to 2-2 in 5 balls. Chasing 3 to win, Suryakumar Yadav hit the first ball by Hasaranga for 3 runs to get India the win as they stay unbeaten and make their way into the finals with loads of questions to answer.
Turning Point of the Match
There were lots of great moments in the match but the turning point of the match came in the first ball of the 20th over at regular time. Pathum Nissanka was there on 107 and was facing Harshit Rana with 12 needed off 6 balls. The first ball he shuffled across and hit it to Varun who took a good catch. Pathum had to go and this was a big moment as if he stayed till the end, Sri Lanka would have won in normal time. This wicket was huge for India to get out of jail in the end.
What Lies Ahead
So, we are done with the Super 4s and what a spectacular way to end the Super 4s stage as India held their nerves to win the contest in the end. Coming up next now is the grand finale of Asia Cup 2025 as arch rivals India and Pakistan meet against each other for the third time. The final set to be played on Sunday 28th September 2025 at 8 PM IST in Dubai.
Who will come out on top? Men in Blue or Men In Green? Only time will tell as we wait till Sunday to find out the answer. India favourites, but Pakistan not out of it by any means.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Abhishek Sharma & Tilak Varma Helps India Get Past 200-Run Mark