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We sign off on our coverage of the 2023 Asia Cup with a special feature on the man of the hour! Our very own Shashwat Kumar, who had the best seat in the house - calling all the action right here as Siraj wreaked havoc at Colombo, painted a thorough picture of the magic from Miyanbhai! India will be buoyant with this thumping performance - they now head back home for a three-match series against Australia before playing host to 9 other nations for the World Cup - starting from the 5th of October! As for Sri Lanka, they must hold their head high up despite all that happened today - the stands around the stadiums in Sri Lanka haven't ever been as full as now, when the men's national team take the field! They have certainly come a very long way over the last couple of years as Dasun Shanaka mentioned in the presentation ceremony, and with some of their key names set to return in the World Cup squad, the only way for them from here will be up! Thank you so much for tuning in to Sportskeeda to witness our live coverage of the tournament - exciting times lie ahead in this sport, and we, for sure, are raring to bring you a lot more! For now, this is Rajarshi, bidding adieu on behalf of all my co-commentators for the day - Sooryanarayanan, Shashwat, and Bidipto. See you soon!
For the second time, Rohit Sharma collects the Asia Cup as India captain, and as per tradition, it is handed to the newest player - Tilak Varma in this case - and he hoists it as the Indian team rejoices and fireworks go off in the background. The Indian team will pose for photographs now - Siraj in the middle of the collective - his hands firmly on the rims of the trophy as he lifts it well above his head! The Indian team were faced with a few challenges in terms of weather, their batting line-up came under scrutiny in the group game against Pakistan and then in the Super Fours contest against Sri Lanka, but the positives will certainly outweigh the negatives as the Men in Blue celebrate a thoroughly deserved title well into the night! With the entirety of Asia being conquered, India will be raring to go up against the rest of the world starting in a couple of weeks!
Rohit Sharma (India captain): It was a great performance. To come out and play in the finals shows the mental character of everyone who has been a part of the team. It was great from the outset. The way we started with the ball and then a clinical finish with the bat. (On the seamers) It's something we take a lot of pride in. Our seamers are working really hard for many years and to be rewarded like that is very pleasing for the side moving forward. They're clear with what they want to do for the team. It was good to see that and very clinical. A performance like that in the final will be cherished for a long time. I never thought it was going to do that much. It comes back to the skillset of the individuals. Siraj has to be given a lot of credit. He swung the ball and moved it off the seam as well. It's very rare. And he's coming of age - the last few years he has played be it Test cricket or ODIs, he has shown what he can do and bring to the team. Not to forget Bumrah who is coming back after a long time - the way he came out and performed was great to see. And the other guys - they all played their part. I think we did pretty much everything we could in this series. Quite pleasing to move forward in this direction with this confidence. We look forward to the series coming up in India and then the World Cup. The first game against Pakistan we were obviously under pressure. The way Hardik and Ishan batted and got us to a good total, and then KL and Virat batted and got those hundreds. Gill is a batting freak - he likes to keep batting and it's something that does well for our team as well. We want them to take that step forward in pressure situations and we've seen the team do that in different situations.
Incredibly heartwarming to see the Sri Lankan fans applaud their skipper and throw their weight behind him. It was a very tough day alright but there can be no denying that the hosts have had a fine tournament until today.
Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: It was an outstanding display of bowling from Mohammad Siraj. Credit to him the way he approached the game. I thought the wicket will be good for the batsmen. The overcast conditions played a part. Tough, tough day at the office. We lacked technique a bit, could have helped our batsmen to free their arms a bit in the middle overs. There are a lot of positives from the tournament, though, the way Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis batted in the middle overs against spin, especially in this turning track, big plus point for us, also Asalanka with the way he handles pressure. These'll help us in the batting conditions in India as well. Also Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, and not to forget the two fast bowlers as well. They will do well in that coming world cup. We played this final without some of our main players, but it was a good thing that we came to the finals this way. It's a big plus from where we began from two years. At last, I would like to thank the supporters who came in numbers (crowd breaks into a deafening applause). Really sorry about the result, but still, thanks for the great support, we as cricketers love you all. And not to forget, the last thanks to the Indian team for the brand of cricket they're playing.
Kuldeep Yadav is declared the Player of the Tournament for his nine wickets throughout the campaign. Here's what he has to say: The last one and a half years have been amazing. I've been working on my rhythm and have been more aggressive at the crease. It's been paying off and I'm loving it all. In T20 format as well the length matters a lot. In T20s it's just about focusing on the length. In the ODI format you try a bit more and give it more flight and use your variations. Credit goes to Rohit bhai - he came and told me to work on my speed. I went back to my coach and cut down my angle. When fast-bowlers give you a couple of wickets in the powerplay it becomes very easy for the spinners to come and bowl. The way we were bowling, we got wickets in the first ten overs and it made it easy for the spinners.
Mohammed Siraj is the Player Of The Match, of course he is! Here's what he has to say: I've been bowling well for the last couple of matches, but was only able to beat the bat. The edges came off the bat today. Tried to hit the areas, the wicket was seaming, but the ball swung a lot today. So I tried to make the batsmen play as much as possible. Planned to pitch the ball up due to the swing, to ensure the catches for the slips and keeper, and that's what happened. Pitch was very good, it was a bit damp, but I managed to execute well. When the bonding between pacers is good, with pressure on one end and wickets being taken on the other, it's helpful. I wanted to save that boundary in that over I took the four wickets and help my side further. Yes, this was my best spell. This cash prize goes to the grounds-men, had they not been around, the tournament would not have taken place. I know it's not a lot, but they deserve it completely.
Right then, at long last, the presentation ceremony is set to commence. A loud cheer from the crowd ensues...
The presentation ceremony isn't far away. In the meantime, you can head over here to keep track of the South Africa-Australia decider in Johannesburg which seems pretty intriguingly poised in itself.
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S Gill
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R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo
