India vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction: Who will win today's Asia Cup 2023 final?
It all comes down to this. Well, not really, with the primary focus still being the World Cup 2023, which will commence amid great fanfare in the subcontinent next month. But as far as the Asia Cup 2023 is concerned, yes, it all comes down to this.
The ongoing edition of the Asia Cup has been slightly underwhelming. There have been several injuries and a whole bunch of rain plus famous rivalries like Pakistan vs Afghanistan and Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka haven't lived up to expectations; Babar Azam and Co. messed up the chance to set up a much-awaited India vs Pakistan final.
Nevertheless, there have been many notable performances and even more takeaways. Look no further than India and Sri Lanka, who have braved the odds and will battle it out in the Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo on Sunday, September 17.
The Men in Blue fielded a second-string side and fell to Bangladesh, but their first-choice XI has proven to be a real force. Returning players KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah have slotted in seamlessly, even if Shreyas Iyer hasn't been lucky enough to face the same fate.
Almost all of India's players have contributed to their wins in the tournament. It's safe to say that despite their Super Four loss to the Tigers, the momentum is very much on the visitors' side.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, know a thing or two about momentum themselves. They had amassed an impressive winning streak, dominated by the World Cup qualifiers, which was snapped by India in the Super Fours. More importantly, the hosts are a formidable unit at home.
Can India add another Asia Cup trophy to their cabinet? Or will Sri Lanka, who collected the T20 version of the competition last year, repeat their feat?
India vs Sri Lanka Match Prediction, Asia Cup 2023: Men in Blue aim to bounce back from Bangladesh defeat
Sri Lanka might struggle to cope without Maheesh Theekshana, who has been ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 final. They have other spinners, including their hero against India, Dunith Wellalage, but Theekshana comprises such an important part of the hosts' bowling plans at all stages.
India's middle order, even without Shreyas, is firing on most cylinders. If Washington Sundar, who has been drafted into the squad as an injury replacement for Axar Patel, can contribute in the lower order and make up for Ravindra Jadeja's indifferent form, the Men in Blue could run away with the contest.
Sri Lanka have already come close to beating India once, but things will be quite tough this time around. While they definitely have the resources to pull off an upset, Rohit Sharma and Co. are the slight favorites to come out on top in the summit clash.
Prediction: India to win the Asia Cup 2023 final.