It’s the Asia Cup finale and all eyes are on India Cricket Team. Rohit Sharma & Co have a chance to end a five-year trophy drought. While Pakistan were the firm favourites, India put up some stellar shows along the way. With Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah set to return for IND vs SL final, India’s star-studded lineup makes them a strong contender for winning the Asia Cup Final. So, here are the top 5 reasons why the men in blue are destined to clinch the championship trophy this time!
Stellar Partnerships
India has a rich history of producing world-class batsmen. Its current batting lineup boasts formidable talents like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul. In this year’s tournament, the team has come together to give the opposition a run for their money. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill had given Nepal a tough score to beat while Virat Kohli and KL Rahul put up an unbeatable target against Pakistan.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli even created a world record by completing the fastest 5000-run ODI partnership in cricket history in their match against Sri Lanka.
Clean Bowled!
The team has a strong bowling lineup that includes spinners, as well as both seasoned and young fast bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav, who recently claimed a five-wicket haul against Pakistan, has firmly established his expertise. Notably, Yadav reached the milestone of 150 ODI wickets in a recent match against Sri Lanka, becoming the fastest Indian bowler to achieve this feat.
But even on spin-friendly pitches, Indian pacers have taken the attack to the opposition. Jasprit Bumrah bowled a mesmerising spell against Pakistan while Hardik Pandya chipped in with crucial wickets too. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja too spun a web around batters. They will be key to India’s success in Asia Cup Final.
Back with a Bang
The Asia Cup 2023 also saw the return of players like KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. They have proved their mettle and knocked it out of the park despite being out of the game for a long period of time. So far, Bumrah has bowled for 12 overs and taken 3 wickets in the tournament, spearheading India’s formidable pace attack. KL Rahul is back with a bang, scoring a century against Pakistan.
Return of the King & Prince
With Virat Kohli slamming a century as well as Shubman Gill, it’s a happy phase for Team India. Kohli commanded Paksitan’s famed bowling line-up with his 77th international century. Shubman Gill, the next big star, scored a crucial century even though in a losing cause on a difficult batting wicket. If both get going, India will be unstoppable in Asia Cup Final.
Winning Momentum
Prospects for India winning the finals have received a significant boost, thanks to their stellar performance in the tournament’s early matches. They have steadily built momentum with victories against every team they have played so far in the tournament.
The team gained confidence from breaking Sri Lanka’s 13-match winning streak by defending an especially tough score of 213 runs as well as scoring their highest-ever number of runs against Pakistan – 356. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli also broke Navjot Singh Siddhu and Sachin Tendulkar’s record of highest partnership against Pakistan.
Tune in to the Asia Cup Final, streaming free on mobile on Disney+ Hotstar, and broadcast LIVE on Star Sports Network
Editors pick
