Asia Cup 2023: 5 records that can be broken in today’s India vs Sri Lanka final ft. Rohit Sharma
Multiple records have been broken already in the 2023 Asia Cup. India have notched up massive wins with some stunning centuries and spells to reach their 10th Asia Cup final. Sri Lanka, with half of their first 11 injured, have shown excellent teamwork under a spirited captain to make it to their 11th final.
Cricket is often called an individual sport in a team mold. Thus, today will also be a contest involving more than just India's bowling attack versus Sri Lanka's versatile batting lineup. Both teams will need all their players, going through different phases in career and form, to win their duels and clinch key moments.
On the way, these players might tumble some records that they probably won't know about in their focus on the quest for the trophy. They can't afford to be distracted but you can.
On that note, here are five individual records that can be broken today at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
#1 - Dasun Shanaka could be the first Sri Lankan captain to win back-to-back Asia Cups
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka has revolutionalized his team's ODI fortunes. They have won 23 out of 37 matches under him with a win percentage of 60.5. Apart from historic bilateral wins over Australia and South Africa, he has led them to the titles of the 2022 Asia Cup (T20s) and the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers.
Now he has taken his injury-ridden team to the final of the 2023 Asia Cup (ODIs) again. If Sri Lanka pull off a win today, Shanaka will become the first ever Sri Lankan captain ever to win back-to-back Asia Cups.
Six captains have played in consecutive Asia Cup finals. Among them, only India's Mohammed Azharuddin was able to clinch consecutive titles in 1991 and 1995.
Both the 1991 and 1995 Asia Cups were played in the ODI format. The T20 format of the tournament only began in 2016. Thus, Shanaka can also become the first captain to win the Asia Cup in two different formats.
#2 - Rohit Sharma needs 32 to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in the Asia Cup (ODIs) for India
Shanaka's opposite number, Rohit Sharma is among the top run-scorers in the Asia Cup with 194 runs at an average of 64.66.
Now, he just needs 32 more to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most runs by an Indian batter in the ODI format of the Asia Cup. Tendulkar scored 971 runs in 23 matches between 1990-2012. Rohit can break it in his 28th match.
Had he not scored a duck against Bangladesh on Friday, he could've also been close to breaking the overall record. He is currently only behind Tendulkar and the Sri Lankan pair of Sanath Jayasuriya (1220) and Kumar Sangakkara (1075).
#3 - Rohit Sharma needs nine sixes for a massive Chris Gayle record
It's a difficult one but if Rohit is in full flow today, he can break Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in international cricket across formats. The West Indian legend hit 553 maximum in 483 matches. The Indian opener is at 545 from 449 matches.
He has hit 50 sixes against Sri Lanka in ODIs, the second most for him after Australia (78). He hit nine of them during his world-record 264 but Rohit has shown the ability to be even more destructive (for example, 16 sixes in his 209 against Australia) depending on the pitches and the opposition attacks.
The right-hander is currently leading the chart for sixes in the 2023 Asia Cup as well with 11 from five matches. He recently broke Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in the tournament as well.
#4 - Kusal Mendis needs 93 to break Kumar Sangakkara's record
Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis was the Player of the Match in the stunning win over Pakistan in the virtual semi-final. His 91 (87) made him the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 253 runs.
Now, he needs 93 more to go past Sangakkara (345 runs in 2008) and break the record for the most runs scored by a wicketkeeper in a single edition of the Asia Cup. Others on the list are MS Dhoni (327 in 2008), Mushfiqur Rahim (302 in 2018), and Mohammed Shahzad (268 in 2018).
#5 - Shubman Gill needs 98 runs to break Suresh Raina's Asia Cup record
Indian opener Shubman Gill's classy, criticism-silencing century against Bangladesh made him the highest run-scorer for the 2023 Asia Cup so far. The right-hander is at 275 runs after five innings with an average of 68.75.
If he scores 98 or more runs today, he'd break Suresh Raina's record for the most runs (372) in one season of an ODI Asia Cup. The former middle-order left-handed batter achieved it in 2018 with two centuries and as many half-centuries in six matches.
If Gill scores six more runs, he'd also break Jayasuriya's overall record of 378 in the 2008 Asia Cup.