All eyes on India's bench in Super Fours dead rubber
India's batting order will be of interest given all the shuffling they have done so far
Sidharth Monga
25-Sep-2025 • 3 hrs ago
Big picture: Who will bat where for India?
The last time India and Sri Lanka faced each other in international cricket, Sri Lanka defended their home turf like wounded lions to blank India out in an animated ODI series. Now, though, they come up against each other in an Asia Cup dead rubber with Sri Lanka already knocked out and an unbeaten India already in the final.
However, with India seemingly playing roulette with their batting order, there is always anticipation to see what the box of chocolates throws up next. In India's previous dead rubber, against Oman, Sanju Samson was promoted to No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav didn't bat at all even though India lost eight wickets. In their last match, Sanju Samson didn't get to bat even though India lost six wickets.
There must be some method to what Suryakumar and coach Gautam Gambhir are doing, but the pundits on the outside haven't been able to figure it out. What happens next is anyone's guess.
Sri Lanka have been on the receiving end of a fickle format. There hasn't been much separating the three teams other than India in the Super Fours. Sri Lanka have lost both their tosses, and have just not been able to post winning totals. Against India, they will need more than the toss to go their way.
Form guide
India WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWWW
Sri Lanka LLWWW
In the spotlight: Abhishek Sharma and Wanindu Hasaranga
One change India will not want to make is rest Abhishek Sharma and halt the almighty momentum he has on his side. He has 248 runs in this Asia Cup at better than two a ball. He has twice threatened to get to a century. You don't ask a batter on such a roll to rest.
Wanindu Hasaranga has gone for less than a run a ball through this tournament, and will relish bowling against a top line-up on a slow Dubai track. Especially outside the powerplay.
Team news: All eyes on India's reserves
Like they did against Oman in the first round, there is a good chance India will experiment on Friday. Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma remain the only ones in the squad who haven't got a game. It remains to be seen if India throw them into the mix. Playing Jitesh doesn't necessarily mean leaving out Sanju Samson, who needs time in the middle before the final.
India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Sanju Samson (wk), 5 Rinku Singh/Jitesh Sharma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Arshdeep Singh.
Sri Lanka haven't quite found their ideal combination through the tournament, but wholesale changes won't make sense either. They could perhaps look to get Kamil Mishara in for Chamika Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Charith Asalanka (capt.), 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne/ Kamil Mishara, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Nuwan Thushara.
Pitch and conditions
As the tournament progresses, scoring quickly keeps getting harder. The powerplay, and what the set batters can do outside of it, remains critical.
Stats and trivia
- India and Sri Lanka have have faced each other in Dubai once previously. It was in the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup back in 2022. Sri Lanka won the toss, inserted India, and won by six wickets.
- Hardik Pandya needs three wickets to become the second India bowler after Arshdeep Singh to 100 in T20Is.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo