Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, India and Sri Lanka will clash in the final of the Asia Cup 2023. Captain Rohit Sharma’s Indian squad, despite a few lingering questions, is the firm favorite to put an end to their five-year dry spell in multi-nation tournaments.
While Axar Patel’s multiple injuries continue to be a concern for the Indian team, Sri Lanka will face a more significant setback with the absence of their premier spinner, Maheesh Theekshana, who is sidelined due to a right hamstring injury.
India’s Quest to Break the Trophy Drought
A quick look at India’s trophy cabinet reveals the uncomfortable reality of their failure to secure any titles in the last five years. Sunday’s final presents an excellent opportunity for them to break this streak of disappointment.
Winning before entering World Cup mode would provide the ideal confidence boost to a team that hasn’t completely checked all the boxes yet but has displayed more solidity than expected a few months ago.
India’s most recent title came in 2018 when Rohit Sharma’s side defeated Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final, winning by three wickets in Dubai.
Since that triumph, India’s struggle to excel in crucial matches and major events has been evident. They reached the semifinals of the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, but they also faced defeats against New Zealand and Australia in the WTC finals in 2019 and 2023, respectively.
