India vs Sri Lanka LIVE Score, Asia Cup 2025: Tilak, Samson build steady partnership after Abhishek's dismissal

Tilak is batting on 14 off 12 after collecting a couple of boundaries, including in the third delivery of the 10th over in which he drives a length ball through the extra cover region. Samson, meanwhile, has collected a couple of singles.

Can Tilak and Samson continue to attack through the middle overs and set a target in the range of 180 or 200? Or will the Men in Blue experience another slow second half after an explosive start, which was the case in their previous game against Bangladesh?

For now, it’s time for the players to have some refreshments on the field. IND 100/3 after 10

Abhishek brings up his fifth T20I half-century – and his third on the trot – by smashing Thushara for consecutive boundaries in the final over of the powerplay. The southpaw smacks a juicy full toss over extra cover for a four before pulling a short-of-length ball towards the square leg fence next ball!

This is the sixth time Abhishek has brought up a half-century in 25 balls or fewer! The partnership with Surya, who has been a spectator at the other end so far, has also gone past fifty! IND 71/1 after 6

Abhishek welcomes the off-spinner into the attack with a mighty hit into the second tier beyond wide long on at the start of the second over. The southpaw gets off strike with a single in the second delivery.

Gill then perishes early for just 4 after chipping the ball towards the bowler, with Theekshana completing a superb catch diving to his left. IND 15/1 after 1.3

For a moment it looks like Tilak Varma will be opening with Gill, given he’s all padded up and doing some warm-ups. Gill and Abhishek walk out to open the innings in the end, with Tilak likely to bat at No 3.

Right-arm seamer Nuwan Thushara will bowl the first over of the evening.

“Finishing the games is something I always look forward to and it came against Pakistan and I am happy that I could do the job. Since the last couple of years I have been batted at different positions and Gauti sir said to be flexible and I try to play according to the situation,” the Mumbai Indians batter says in the chat on Sony Sports Network.

“I do love a lot of fitness, got inspired by Virat Kohli and he is someone who has taken the fitness standard to next level, so yes I do spend a lot of time in the gym. The wickets have been on the slower side (here in Dubai)and I have already spoken to Surya that it (today’s pitch) is slightly better for batting. When compared to Indian conditions, the surface and outfield is a bit slow here,” the Hyderabad batter adds.

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

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

Which means India will be batting first for the second consecutive match. Can the Men in Blue go past 180 today after posting 168 against Bangladesh?

Just one change for the Lankan Lions.

In the last few years, however, India have imbibed that unforgiving streak, one of the main reasons why they have lost just one game in the immediate three ICC events.

That hasn’t necessarily been the case in this T20 Asia Cup, where India have extended their winning run to five matches. To point to flows and lacunae during this behemothian run might appear to be nit-picking, but India will be the first to admit that they haven’t mounted a flawless campaign thus far.

India had dropped a total of three catches in the group stage of the ongoing tournament – all of them tough chances. The Men in Blue, however, would drop more catches in each of their Super 4s matches – four against Pakistan and five against Bangladesh – than they did across the three Group A fixtures

All four catches in the rematch against Pakistan were dollies while four of the five dropped chances against Bangladesh came off the bat of opener Saif Hassan. ( READ MORE )

According to ESPNCricinfo, India captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty by the ICC of breaching the Code of Conduct for making references to the India-Pakistan military conflict after their Asia Cup Group A match against their arch-rivals on 14 September.

Surya’s ‘not guilty’ plea has been rejected by ICC match referee Richie Richardson, and while the exact sanction is yet to be confirmed, the India skipper is likely to face a fine or demerit points. India, meanwhile, have appealed against the verdict.

“As they say, you can’t give excuses at this level. As a team we definitely have to start catching all those because we look like we will be qualifying for the finals and we should be taking them,” India leg-spinner Varun said during the press conference ahead of India’s dead rubber against Sri Lanka

“It comes in the eyesight sometimes and it’s a little bit of disturbance. We have to get acclimatised to it,” he added, referring to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium’s ‘Ring of Fire’ and how that can sometimes prevent fielders from completing catches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had filed a complaint against India captain Suryakumar Yadav after the latter had dedicated the Men in Blue’s seven-wicket victory over Pakistan to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack as well as the Indian armed forces in their group match on Sunday, 14 September.

Surya has been let off with a warning for now, with the ICC advising him to refrain from making political comments.

While Farhan insists his gun celebration after completing his half-century is part of his culture, with celebratory firings common in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region as well as in Afghanistan, Rauf claims he did not make any reference to India in his “6-0” and fighter jet gestures.

While Farhan has been let off with a warning by the ICC, Rauf has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee. Additionally, the ICC has also told India captain Suryakumar Yadav not to make political comments after matches, in reference to him dedicating India’s victory over their arch-rivals in the group stage to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack as well as the Indian armed forces.

The two teams had last faced each other in the T20 format during India’s tour of Sri Lanka last year, which happened to be Gautam Gambhir’s maiden assignment as India head coach.

The ‘Gambhir’ era began with a clinical 3-0 sweep, with the Men in Blue winning the first two matches by 43 runs and 7 wickets respectively before winning the Super Over in the third game after it ended in a tie.

When it comes to the Men’s T20 Asia Cup, India and Sri Lanka have faced each other twice.

India had won their first meeting in 2016, defeating the Lankans by 5 wickets in Dhaka. Sri Lanka returned the favour six years later in Dubai, collecting a six-wicket victory after being set 174 to win.

Which team will go 2-1 up today? Stay tuned to find out.

Here’s the head-to-head record between India and Sri Lanka in T20Is: 

Matches: 32

India won: 21

Sri Lanka won: 9

Tied: 1 (India won)

No Result: 1

Sri Lanka had won all three matches in the group stage of the Asia Cup to top Group A, pulling off successful chases against Bangladesh as well as Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

The defending Asian T20 champions, however, would suffer back-to-back losses in the Super 4s against Bangladesh and Pakistan, and were eliminated following India’s victory over the Bangla Tigers.

India’s predicted playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.

Sri Lanka’s predicted playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara.