What looked like a dead rubber turned into the match of the tournament. India and Sri Lanka both finished on 202/5 in their 20 overs, before India clinched it in a Super Over that had wickets, a rules twist, and a finish on the very first ball.
Match at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday, 26 September 2025 |
| Venue | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| Toss | Sri Lanka won and elected to field |
| Result | Match tied — India won the Super Over |
| Player of the Match | Pathum Nissanka (SL) — 107 (58) |
| Series context | India already in the final; Sri Lanka eliminated (turning this into a thriller of pride) |
Sources: Scorecard and match info, plus tournament context.
Score summary
| Team | 20 overs | Top batters | Best opposition bowlers |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 202/5 | Abhishek Sharma 61 (31), Tilak Varma 49* (34), Sanju Samson 39 (23) | SL: Charith Asalanka 1/18 (2), Maheesh Theekshana 1/36 (4), Dushmantha Chameera 1/40 (4), Wanindu Hasaranga 1/37 (4), Dasun Shanaka 1/23 (2) |
| Sri Lanka | 202/5 | Pathum Nissanka 107 (58), Kusal Perera 58 (32) | IND: Kuldeep Yadav 1/31 (4), Varun Chakaravarthy 1/31 (4), Hardik Pandya 1/7 (1), Harshit Rana 1/54 (4), Arshdeep Singh 1/46 (4) |
Powerplays: India 71/1; Sri Lanka 72/1. India’s 202 was the highest total of the tournament so far.
How the drama unfolded (quick timeline)
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India’s rocket start: Abhishek Sharma raised a third straight T20I fifty in the tournament (50 off 22), setting up India’s surge. Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson kept the rate healthy; Axar Patel’s last‑ball six pushed India past 200.
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Highlight grab: Maheesh Theekshana’s sharp caught‑and‑bowled stunned Shubman Gill early.
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Sri Lanka’s counterpunch: Nissanka (107) and Kusal Perera (58) put on 127 off 70—the highest partnership in T20 Asia Cup history—to level the chase on the final ball. It was also Nissanka’s maiden T20I hundred and the first century of this Asia Cup.
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Quirky laws moment: Mid-chase, a delivery was ruled dead ball because a substitute and the replaced fielder were simultaneously on the field—no run, no six, just a rare reset.
The Super Over, explained
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Sri Lanka’s Super Over: Arshdeep Singh bowled.
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Ball 1: Kusal Perera holed out—wicket.
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Ball 4 (the flashpoint): Dasun Shanaka attempted a bye; Sanju Samson hit the stumps. The on‑field umpire had also signalled caught behind; DRS showed no edge, which meant the ball was dead and the run‑out didn’t count.
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Ball 5: Shanaka out. Sri Lanka 2/2 after five balls.
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India’s chase: Target 3; Suryakumar Yadav threaded the gap through cover—India 3/0 in one ball.
Scoreline: SL 2/2 (0.5), IND 3/0 (0.1).
That controversy (caught‑behind vs run‑out with ball declared dead) was the night’s biggest talking point before India sealed it.
Key stats & records
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Highest team total of the tournament: India 202/5.
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Nissanka’s 107 (58): his maiden T20I century and first of the 2025 Asia Cup.
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Second‑wicket stand (127 off 70) between Nissanka–Perera: highest in T20 Asia Cup history.
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Powerplay parity: IND 71/1 vs SL 72/1—both sides sprinted out of the blocks.
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India stay perfect: six wins on the bounce; Pakistan await in Sunday’s final.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara.
Scorecard nuggets (bullet points)
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India FoW: 15‑1 (Gill), 74‑2 (Suryakumar), 92‑3 (Abhishek), 158‑4 (Samson), 162‑5 (Hardik).
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Sri Lanka FoW: 7‑1 (Kusal Mendis, golden duck), 134‑2 (Perera), 157‑3 (Asalanka), 163‑4 (Kamindu), 191‑5 (Nissanka).
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Economy standouts: Kuldeep 1/31 (4), Varun 1/31 (4) kept it to sub‑8; Hardik’s solitary over fetched a wicket.
Why India edged it (in one glance)
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Abhishek’s powerplay burst set the tone.
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Kuldeep–Varun squeeze stalled SL after the 13th over.
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Arshdeep’s nerve in the Super Over (two wickets, two runs conceded).
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SKY’s clarity to finish the chase in one ball.
What it means
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India: march into the final vs Pakistan unbeaten; Hardik Pandya to be assessed after a brief bowling outing, while Abhishek reported fine post knocks in consecutive games.
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Sri Lanka: find a talisman in Nissanka and a rejuvenated Perera—plenty to build on despite elimination.
Read more: Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2025
One‑screen recap (bookmark this)
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IND 202/5 (Abhishek 61, Tilak 49, Samson 39) | SL 202/5 (Nissanka 107, Perera 58)* — match tied.
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Super Over: SL 2/2 (Arshdeep 2 wkts); IND 3/0 in 1 ball (SKY).
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POTM: Pathum Nissanka.
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Final: India vs Pakistan, Dubai, Sunday.
