Before the big final in Colombo between India and Sri Lanka, let’s take a closer look at their past performances and how they’ve been doing recently.
Team India is eager to break a five-year streak without winning any major tournaments when they face the defending champions, Sri Lanka, in the Asia Cup final in Colombo this Sunday. There’s been a lot of talk about Axar Patel and his quadriceps injury, while Sri Lanka are missing their key spinner, Maheesh Theekshana, due to a hamstring strain.
India haven’t won a major tournament since 2018 when Rohit Sharma led a less experienced team to victory in the Asia Cup in Dubai, beating Bangladesh in the final. Winning the Asia Cup again would be a significant achievement, especially with the ODI World Cup at home coming up in less than three weeks.
Head-to-Head Record Overall (in ODIs):
Total Matches Played: 166
India’s Wins: 97
Sri Lanka’s Wins: 57
No Results: 11
Head-to-Head Record in the Asia Cup (ODIs):
Total Matches Played: 20
India’s Wins: 10
Sri Lanka’s Wins: 1
The Asia Cup 2023 final between India and Sri Lanka is set to take place in Colombo, and all eyes are on the weather as fans and cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the clash between these two cricketing giants. The lead-up to the Super Fours stage of the tournament was marked by concerns about potential rain interruptions, with some even suggesting a change in the venue due to heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka. However, Colombo has largely witnessed favorable weather conditions throughout the tournament.
As India and Sri Lanka prepare for the summit clash, it’s crucial to assess whether rain might disrupt this highly anticipated final.
Weather Forecast for Colombo:
According to Accuweather, the forecast for the day of the final indicates that it will be “Cloudy; a thundershower in parts of the area in the morning followed by a couple of thunderstorms around in the afternoon.” The forecast also suggests a high probability of precipitation, with a 90% chance of rain and a 54% chance of thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms are expected at various times throughout the day, including 10 am local time, 1 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm, and 10 pm. Given that the match is scheduled to begin at 3 pm local time, there may be a risk of a delayed start due to the weather conditions.
What Happens If the Asia Cup 2023 Final Is Washed Out?
Similar to the Super Fours game between India and Pakistan, the Asia Cup final has a reserve day scheduled for September 18 (Monday). If rain affects the match on the initial scheduled day, overs will be reduced until a certain cut-off time, after which the game will be rescheduled to the reserve day. If the match starts on the initial day but is interrupted by rain and cannot be completed, the proceedings on the reserve day will resume from the point where it stopped on the first day.
What If the Reserve Day Is Also Washed Out?
In the unfortunate event that the reserve day of the Asia Cup 2023 final is also washed out, both India and Sri Lanka will be declared joint winners. This scenario has occurred in the past in Sri Lanka, with India and Sri Lanka being announced as joint winners of the 2002 Champions Trophy final due to rain washing out both attempts to play the match.