Indian players celebrate their win.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Dubai: Pathum Nissanka began the Asia Cup T20 2025 with half-centuries in Sri Lanka’s first two games, before going off the boil. His diminishing returns mirrored his team’s fortunes as the 2014 T20 World Cup winners lost their first two Super Four matches and crashed out of the tournament, but with only pride on the line against India, the opener made a spectacular return to form on Friday night.
Faced with the stiffest target of the tournament after India rode on another special half-century from Abhishek Sharma to post 202 for five, Nissanka tore into a bowling attack missing Jasprit Bumrah (rested) and Hardik Pandya (who left the field after just one over) to register a stunning maiden T20I hundred, an innings of the highest quality at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Nissanka fell to the first ball of the final over with 12 needed for victory, and Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage somehow eked out 11 to push the match into a Super Over. Arshdeep Singh, who came back superbly at the death after a poor beginning, held his nerve to concede just two in a dramatic Super Over and India extended their winning streak to eight matches, only just, skipper Suryakumar Yadav knocking off those runs off the first ball, from Wanindu Hasaranga.
India will feel they should never have allowed the match to get this close, but they will take heart from having got the job done when all seemed lost, the sign of a team brimful with belief.
Admittedly, India were missing two of their premier pacers but the profligacy of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep did not reflect well on the reserve strength. Neither was particularly impressive in the game against Oman a week back and they copped severe punishment once again, their lapses in length and direction mercilessly punished by Nissanka and Kusal Perera, both of whom conjured 25-ball half-centuries.
Before leaving the field, Pandya had got rid of Kusal Mendis off the fourth ball of the chase, snapped up at slip by Shubman Gill, but if India thought they were in for a joyride, Nissanka and Perera emphatically dashed those during a frenetic second-wicket alliance of 127 that came off just 70 deliveries. While Nissanka didn’t spare any part of the ground, the left-handed Perera largely targeted the square field on the leg-side.
Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy imposed a semblance of control and Sri Lanka stuttered after Perera charged the latter and was stumped by a mile, settling for scores tied when victory seemed imminent.
A few of India’s batting frailties had reared their head after Charith Asalanka asked them to bat first on a very good track. Abhishek was characteristically flowing, like a river in spate, but neither Gill nor Suryakumar, at No. 3, inspired any confidence.
Skipper Suryakumar and his deputy Gill haven’t had the kind of tournaments they would have liked; while Gill has at least been involved in two big associations with the red-hot Abhishek, the captain has looked a pale shadow of his imperious self and was trapped leg before on the sweep by Hasaranga. Suryakumar has made the sweep his signature stroke and to see him thus dismissed merely highlighted his tribulations in this competition.
Abhishek apart, though, India did benefit from good hands from Sanju Samson, showcasing his comfort levels in the middle order for the first time, and Tilak Varma, the fluent left-hander who once again batted with composure and common sense.
There was no great acceleration to the Indian innings; they scored at ten an over for nearly the duration of their 20 overs with Tilak and Samson ensuring that the pyrotechnics of Abhishek, who brought up his third successive half-century, did not go in vain.