India held their nerve in a dramatic Super Over to beat Sri Lanka and finish the Super 4s stage unbeaten at the Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai on Friday. Pathum Nissanka’s scintillating 107 off 58 balls had taken Sri Lanka to the brink of victory, but the scores were tied at 202 after 20 overs. In the Super Over, Arshdeep Singh struck twice to restrict Sri Lanka to just two runs, before captain Suryakumar Yadav calmly sealed the win off the very first ball.
With Kusal Perera (58) in blazing form too, Sri Lanka dominated the chase after India had posted 202/5. Nissanka and Perera's 127-run stand left the Indian bowlers searching for answers.
It was unbelievable hitting. They (India) got really experienced bowlers, but Pathum and Kusal batted extremely well. We were in control until Varun and Kuldeep bowled those really good overs.
India Drag It To The Last Over
India clawed their way back after Varun Chakaravarthy removed Perera and Kuldeep Yadav struck soon after. Yet, Nissanka’s fluent strokeplay kept Sri Lanka in sight of victory. Needing 12 off the final six deliveries, Sri Lanka were favourites—until Harshit Rana turned the game. Off the very first ball of the 20th over, Nissanka flicked straight to Chakravarthy. Dasun Shanaka’s late effort tied the scores at 202, forcing a Super Over.
Arshdeep Shines In The Super Over
In the high-pressure tie-breaker, Arshdeep Singh held his nerve. He dismissed Kusal Perera off the first ball and then Shanaka off the fifth, conceding just two runs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav calmly finished the job, scoring three runs off Wanindu Hasaranga’s first ball to seal India’s win.
Arshdeep has been in that situation a lot of times and has delivered for us. I told him, back your plans and don’t think about anything else. His confidence says it all — no one but Arshdeep could have bowled such a Super Over.
India’s Batting Foundation
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma struck a sparkling 61 off 31 balls, his third consecutive half-century of the tournament. Tilak Varma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 49, while Sanju Samson added a valuable 39. Axar Patel’s late flourish (21 off 15) lifted India past the 200 mark. Though Maheesh Theekshana and Asalanka picked up a wicket each, Sri Lanka’s bowlers leaked runs at crucial stages.
Looking Ahead To The Final
For India, the win capped an unbeaten run through the group and Super 4s stages.
It felt like a final. The boys showed character. I told them to treat it like a semi-final — have energy, get everyone involved, and let’s see what happens. Happy to be on the winning side.
Sri Lanka, despite the heartbreak, will take confidence from their spirited performance against the No. 1 ranked T20I side.
Brief Scores: India 202/5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 61, Tilak Varma 49*; Theekshana 1-36, Asalanka 1-18) Sri Lanka 202/5 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 107, Kusal Perera 58; Kuldeep 1-31, Varun 1-31, Hardik 1-7) Super Over: Sri Lanka 2/2 (Arshdeep 2-2) lost to India 3/0 (Suryakumar 3*). Result: India won in a Super Over.
