Asia Cup 2025: India vs Sri Lanka – Match Preview
This contest doesn’t carry much weight. India are already in the next stage, Sri Lanka are already out, and the result won’t alter the standings. Yet, with the T20 World Cup only a few months away—though in conditions quite different from Dubai—both teams will see value in using this game as preparation.
India: experiments and lapses
India have treated this Asia Cup as a training ground for adaptability—shuffling batting positions, testing bowlers in unusual phases, and trusting their depth. Amid these planned trials, however, their fielding has slipped.
They’ve dropped 12 catches in the tournament, including eight across their last two outings. Given their experience of Dubai’s floodlights, it’s no longer something they can brush aside.
Abhishek Sharma has been their key spark, providing fast starts that ease the pressure on the middle order. But Sri Lanka will be eager to see how India cope if those early runs don’t come.
Sri Lanka: a campaign to move past
Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup has been disappointing. They came in expecting to challenge near the top but faltered with the bat in particular. Against both Bangladesh and Pakistan, their failure to put up competitive totals left them chasing the game.
They’ve also struggled to settle on their best XI. At times, they’ve gone in with an extra bowler at the cost of batting depth; at others, they’ve chosen an additional batter but lacked the bowling firepower to defend. Finding a balance—scoring in the 180–200 range while using part-timers effectively—remains their challenge, as Charith Asalanka admitted after the Pakistan defeat.
The stage
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When: September 26, 2025, 6:30 PM local / 8:00 PM IST
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Where: Dubai International Stadium
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Conditions: Expect the usual slow, low surface. The ball should come on nicely in the first 10 overs, encouraging stroke-play, but as the innings progresses, timing will be tougher. Power-hitting has often been the answer, bringing both sixes and regular wickets into play.