Indian bowlers were frustrated with the dominant second wicket partnership for Sri Lanka, as the Lankans were seemed to be comfortably snatching the win in the dead rubber Super Fours match in the Asia Cup 2025. Finally, the Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy brought the crucial breakthrough for the Men in Blues by dismissing one of the dangerous batters, experienced Kusal Perera. 

Asia Cup 2025 (Super Fours), India vs Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera thrashed all Indian bowlers

Sri Lanka are chasing the 203-run target in the last game of the Super Fours in the Asia Cup 2025. Although India got an early wicket, as the opener Kusal Mendis was dismissed for a golden duck in the first over of the innings after Hardik Pandya took that wicket, another opener Pathum Nissanka and the no.3 batter Kusal Perera changed the atmosphere of the game with their powerful second-wicket partnership. These two Lankan batters spared none of the Indian bowlers.

In less than 12 overs of the second wicket partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera, they added 127 runs. It was the record T20I partnership for Sri Lanka for any wicket against India, while their previous record against India was the 109-run second wicket partnership between Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga during the 2017 Indore T20I.

WATCH: Shoaib Akhtar makes funny stumble while talking about how Pakistan's best chance against India in Asia Cup 2025 Final

Varun Chakaravarthy broke the dangerous partnership

While Nissanka and Perera were both charging against the Indian bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav suddenly put a break in the 12th over, as the required run rate pressured the set Lankan partnership. It ultimately worked for the Indian team, as Varun Chakaravarthy produced the key wicket for India by dismissing Perera. Under pressure Perera went to attack the Indian spinner and came down the pitch, while the Lankan batter completely missed that ball, and the Indian keeper Sanju Samson comfortably stumped out Perera. Perera left the ground after scoring 58 runs off 32 balls with eight fours and one six, while Nissanka's presence still put the Lankan team in the upper hand in the game. 

Kusal Perera outfoxed and how! 🥵

Watch #INDvSL, Live now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. pic.twitter.com/IycRY0Kneu

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 26, 2025

Before the first India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Final, which will be played on this Sunday (September 28) at Dubai in the Asia Cup 2025 Final, India and Sri Lanka are facing off each other at Dubai in the last game of the Super Fours in the tournament on Friday (September 26). In this dead rubber fixture, as the defending champions India have already qualified for the Final and the T20 Asia Cup defending champions Sri Lanka have already been eliminated, India have made two changes, as Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube are not in the squad. 

Asia Cup 2025, Super Fours: India vs Sri Lanka - Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube rested

At the toss, Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka chose to bowl first after winning the toss. While Sri Lanka made a single change, as Janith Liyanage has been included as the replacement of Charith Asalanka, India made two changes. While the right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and pace-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube have been rested from the playing XI, the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and right-arm fast bowler Harshit Rana have returned to the playing XI. While it is a good opportunity for both pacers to produce their top performances before the India vs Pakistan match in the Final, Bumrah and Dube have gotten crucial rest before the tournament Final. 

Both Bumrah and Dube have taken five wickets each in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, as they are India's joint second leading wicket-taker in the tournament. In three innings of this tournament, Dube scored 17 runs. 

See Also: ICC likely to penalise Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for controversial gestures vs IND in Asia Cup 2025: Report

Asia Cup 2025, Super Fours: India vs Sri Lanka Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (Captain), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

The Pakistan vs Bangladesh Super Fours match in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai on Thursday (September 25) is a do-or-die match for both teams, as the winner of the match will advance to the Final of the tournament and will face India on Sunday (September 28). Bangladesh captain Litton Das is missing once again in this important match, and here we are talking about the reason for his absence.

Litton Das injured in practice session

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das missed the previous night's game against India. Last Tuesday (September 23), during the practice session, Litton was injured as he got a blow to his left rib. He needed some medical treatment, and then he watched the training session, but didn't come to bat that night. 

The side-strain issue has forced Litton to miss another crucial Super Fours match for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2025, as he is missing the match against Pakistan, which is a must-win fixture for both teams. He was eyeing a return in this game, but sadly failed the fitness test. In his absence, Jaker Ali has continued his leadership role, just like the last night against India. While Bangladesh made four changes against India, including the forced injury replacement of Litton, the Tigers have made three changes in their playing XI for the match against Pakistan. Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, and Nurul Hasan have been included in the match against Pakistan.

Once again, Bangladesh will miss the calm, composed leadership and batting of Litton Das. However, the Tigers have a great chance to prove the depth of the team, as a victory will guide them to the Final of the tournament. Before the ongoing T20 Asia Cup, Bangladesh won the T20I series against the hosts Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home. 

[WATCH] Waqar Younis's funny reaction in trying to replicate Wanindu Hasaranga's celebration during PAK vs SL Super 4 clash

Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh fought well

In the group stage of the Asia Cup 2025, Bangladesh beat Afghanistan and Hong Kong but lost against Sri Lanka and finished as the runners-up in Group B. In the Super Fours, Bangladesh first defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets with one ball remaining, but then they lost against unbeaten India by 41 runs last night. As Bangladesh and Pakistan both have two points in the Super Fours, the winner of the match will advance to the Final with four points. 

Starting the Asia Cup 2025 as among the favourites, Sri Lanka surprised in the Super Fours performances, as they have been eliminated from the tournament, while they still have to play one game in the ongoing Super Fours stage. 

India vs Bangladesh Super Fours in the Asia Cup 2025 was one of the important fixtures for the T20 Asia Cup defending champions Sri Lanka, as they could only stay in the tournament if Bangladesh managed to defeat the Men in Blues. Apart from that result, Sri Lanka would also need to hope for another Bangladesh victory against Pakistan on Thursday's fixture, after which the Lankans would need to beat India, and also need to maintain a good net run rate, as India and Pakistan would also have two points at the end of the Super Fours, while Bangladesh would end the stage with six points in that scenario. 

See Also: Star India pacer ruled out from upcoming home series against West Indies

Asia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka eliminated; India qualified for Final

But the only unbeaten side in the Asia Cup 2025, India, expectedly dominated against Bangladesh, as the Men in Blues claimed another comfortable victory by 41 runs to secure their place for the Asia Cup 2025 Final as well as eliminate Sri Lanka from the tournament. Although Sri Lanka will play against India in the last Super Fours fixture on Friday (September 26), the T20 Asia Cup defending champions won't have any chance to qualify for the Final of the tournament. 

Meanwhile, on Thursday (September 25), Pakistan and Bangladesh will face each other to battle for the last spot of the Asia Cup 2025 Final, as the winner of the match will advance to the Final. So, this Super Fours fixture has turned out as the unofficial Semi-final.  

Asia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka finished Group B as champions

Sri Lanka started the tournament brilliantly, as they finished the group stage as the champions. While Group B had teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong, along with Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka won all those matches to join the Super Fours as the Group B champions. In the group stage, the Lankans defeated Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Afghanistan by six wickets, four wickets, and six wickets, respectively. However, in the Super Fours, Sri Lanka first lost against Bangladesh by four wickets, then Pakistan beat them by five wickets last night. It is very difficult to see the T20 Asia Cup defending champions and one of the favourites of the Asia Cup 2025, Sri Lanka, have been eliminated before the end of the Super Fours competition.  

During the India vs Bangladesh Super Fours fixture in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai on Wednesday (September 24), Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman set a new T20I record for his nation after surpassing the legendary all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. 

After sending India to bat first, Bangladesh restricted India to 168/6 in 20 overs. Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman had the bowling figures of 4-0-33-1, as he took the wicket of Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for only five runs. In that same over, where the Indian skipper was dismissed after the confident Bangladesh took a successful review, in-form Indian opener Abhishek Sharma was run out after a brilliant fielding from Rishad Hossain, as Mustafizur finished the job. 

[WATCH] Miscommunication leads to Abhishek Sharma's run-out for 75 during IND vs BAN Super 4 Asia Cup 2025 clash

Mustafizur Rahman broke Shakib Al Hasan's record: Leading T20I wicket-taker for Bangladesh

With the wicket of Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman completed his 150 T20I wickets, as he became the first Bangladesh bowler to complete 150 T20I wickets. That wicket made Mustafizur the leading T20I wicket-taker for Bangladesh, as he surpassed the legendary left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan, who took 149 wickets in his T20I career. 

After the Afghan star Rashid Khan, Mustafizur became the second Asian to record 150 T20I wickets. Meanwhile, he also became the second pacer to bag 150 T20I wickets, just after the New Zealand legend Tim Southee. Overall, the Bangladesh left-arm pacer became the first left-arm pacer and fourth bowler to complete 150 T20I wickets.

Bowlers with 150 T20I wickets

• Rashid Khan (Afghanistan/ICC World XI): 173 T20I wickets
• Tim Southee (New Zealand): 164 T20I wickets
• Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh): 150 T20I wickets
• Ish Sodhi (New Zealand): 150 T20I wickets

Mustafizur has taken eight wickets in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, as he is currently the third leading wicket-taker in this T20 tournament. 

Mustafizur has taken 356 international wickets, as he is the third leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in international cricket. 

In the crucial India vs Bangladesh Super Fours match in the Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday (September 24) night, Bangladesh stand-in captain Jaker Ali won the toss and chose to bowl first, as their skipper Litton Das is not playing.

As both India and Bangladesh won their first match in Super Fours, another victory will put them much ahead. While India will directly qualify for the Final with a win against Bangladesh, Bangladesh will move to the top spot in the Super Fours points table with a victory against India, but they still have to wait to secure their place for the tournament Final. 

Litton Das missing the match due to injury

Bangladesh captain Litton Das is missing from the crucial game against India. Last Tuesday (September 23), during the practice session, Litton Das got a blow to his left rib. He was down on the ground as the Bangladesh medical team quickly attended to him. He watched the complete practice from the sideline but didn't return to bat.  

At the toss before the match against India, Bangladesh's stand-in captain Jaker Ali confirmed that Litton Das is missing the match due to his injury. Apart from him, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Mahedi Hasan are missing this fixture. As the replacement, Parvez Hossain Emon, Rishad Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib have been included in the playing XI. 

Also, another important fact for the match is that Bangladesh will face Pakistan the next day, Thursday (September 25), which will be the last Super Fours fixture for both teams, and the victory can be must for both teams. 

Asia Cup 2025 (Super Fours): India vs Bangladesh Playing XIs

Sri Lanka faced off against Pakistan during Match 3 of the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Batting first, Sri Lanka had a rough start as Pakistan's bowlers got to them early on. Shaheen Afridi and Hussain Talat picked individual wickets that caused the batters to collapse in that middle order. Although Kamindu Mendis made a valiant effort with a fifty, Sri Lanka could only post a score of 133/8. Although Pakistan also lost a few wickets the strong association between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz enabled a comfortable five-wicket win. Below are the main reasons for Sri Lanka:

1. Early breakthroughs by Pakistan’s bowlers

Shaheen Afridi dismissed Kusal Mendis for a golden duck and removed Pathum Nissanka dismissed early in the innings. Hussain Talat then took a wicket on the next ball when he dismissed captain Dasun Shanaka. This left Sri Lanka with considerable pressure early in the innings.

2. Sri Lanka’s middle-order collapse

With early wickets loss, Sri Lanka never recovered since their middle order just kept falling. Only Kamindu Mendis scored 50 off 44 balls, while the others fell to the Pakistani bowling attack, to leave Sri Lanka with just 133/8.

See Also: [WATCH]: Wanindu Hasaranga gives Abrar Ahmed taste of his own medicine with mocking reply in SL vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash

3. Match-winning partnership in Pakistan’s chase

Pakistan lost some wickets while chasing but Hussain Talat (32) and Mohammad Nawaz (38*) built a 58-run stand. Their calm batting took the game away from Sri Lanka and sealed the win with 5 wickets in hand.

Bangladesh have a good chance to prove themselves among the best of the teams in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, while they will play an important Super Fours match against India on Wednesday (September 24) at Dubai. However, the Tigers have suffered a big blow on the eve of their match against the unbeaten side in the tournament, India.

On Tuesday (September 23), during the practice session, Bangladesh captain Litton Das was injured as he got a blow to his left rib. He was on the ground while the medical team had to assist him as the BCB doctor and team physio checked him. Later, he was on the ground and watched the practice session, but didn't return to bat.  

See Also: Physio rushes into field, injury threat for Sri Lanka during SL vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super Four Match 3

We will have a look at Litton Das today

While the Bangladesh captain seemed okay from the outside, the team management will take the final call after conducting a thorough medical assessment. 

A BCB official told Cricbuzz, "We will have a look at him (Litton) today because from outside he looks quite okay, but we need to conduct a medical assessment before making a final call."

Bangladesh captain Litton Das is in good form with the bat. He has scored 119 runs in four games in the Asia Cup 2025, including one half-century.  

Bangladesh need to win at least one more Super Fours game

Bangladesh haven't any official vice-captain for the Asia Cup 2025. So, it will be interesting to see who can lead the Bangladesh team if Litton Das misses the game against India. In fact, Bangladesh have back-to-back Super Fours matches against India and Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday, where they need to win at least one game and maintain the net run rate in a better position. 

After finishing as the Group B runners-up in the group stage of the tournament, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in their first Super Fours match by four wickets with one ball remaining, as they successfully chased the 169-run target at Dubai. 

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are playing an important Super Fours fixture in the Asia Cup 2025, as it is a must-win fixture for both teams to stay in contention for the qualification of the Final.

In the match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (September 23), Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to field first after winning the toss at Abu Dhabi. Both teams suffered defeat in their first Super Fours game, as Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets with one ball remaining and India outclased Pakistan by six wickets with seven balls remaining. So, a defeat on Tuesday night will make the qualification for the Final the toughest, as nothing will remain in the losing team’s hand, while a victory will push them in the battle for the qualification for the Final.

WATCH: Shaheen Afridi strikes in the second ball during SL vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match 

Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara dropped from Sri Lankan squad

Sri Lanka made two important changes in the playing XI for the match against Pakistan. Chamika Karunaratne and Maheesh Theekshana have been included in the playing XI, while Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara have been dropped. Both changes were tactical decisions from the Lankan side. 

Dunith recently lost his father, as he returned home to pay his last respects to his late father. But then he returned to the team and played their previous Super Fours fixture against Bangladesh on the same night, last Saturday. 

On the other hand, Kamil Mishara won the Player of the Match award for Sri Lanka in their tournament opener against Bangladesh in the group stage. But after that match, his form drastically dropped as he failed to reach the 20-run mark in last three innings. 

In the Asia Cup 2025, Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Fours as the Group B champions, as they won all three matches against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong, to finish the group stage with six points. Meanwhile, Pakistan were the Group A runners-up, where they lost against India, but defeated Oman and the hosts United Arab Emirates. 

Sri Lanka won last five T20Is against Pakistan

Sri Lanka have won the last five T20Is against Pakistan since 2019, while before that Pakistan claimed six consecutive wins against Sri Lanka in this format. While it is the T20 Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are the defending champions, as they defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the Final to win the T20 Asia Cup 2022 title. 

Abhishek Sharma stormed the Pakistan bowlers in their Super Fours meeting in the Asia Cup 2025 on last Sunday (September 21) night. While he brought an "L" celebration after completing his half-century in that game, he has revealed the meaning of that celebration. 

In the Super Fours clash of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, India sent Pakistan to bat first and restricted the arch-rivals to 171/5 in 20 overs. In reply, India completed 100 runs before the completion of the 10th over, as the opening partners Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill set up a 105-run partnership for the first wicket. Abhishek Sharma completed his memorable half-century in just 24 balls, as he recorded the fastest T20I fifty by an Indian against Pakistan. 

This is love: Abhishek Sharma on his "L" celebration

After completing his half-century, Abhishek Sharma had a calm and cool "L" celebration. Later, the Indian opener clarified that it was the symbol of love for those people who supported the Indian team.

In a recent video posted by BCCI, the Indian opener told the skipper Suryakumar Yadav, “This is love, it is a celebration for those who support the Indian team. This is for India."

See Also: ‘Kisko Mara Wo Sab Jante Hai’: Abhishek Sharma’s Mother Surprisingly Reacts to Son’s First Ball Six

It is a special feeling when family members come: Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek scored 74 runs off 39 balls with the help of six fours and five sixes. His batting played a major role for India to comfortably secure the match as the Men in Blues chased down the target in 18.5 overs after losing four wickets, as they won by six wickets to grab the top spot in the Super Fours points table. 

While Abhishek's family members were present on the ground for that match, the game became more special for him, as India claimed a one-sided victory in style. He added, “It is very special because I feel their record is going very well for me. Whenever they come, we have won the game one-sidedly. Even today, we won the contest one-sidedly. It is a special feeling when family members come.”