Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to India's stunning Super Over win in IND vs SL Asia Cup 2025 match ft. Dinesh Karthik

India and Sri Lanka played the game of the 2025 Asia Cup in their final Super Four clash of the tournament in Dubai on September 26. Despite the contest being a dead rubber as far as the competition is concerned, the two sides went toe-to-toe in the first 40 overs.

The Men in Blue produced a sparkling batting performance to finish with a massive 202/5 in 20 overs. With nothing to play for in terms of qualification, most expected the Lankans to fold in response.

However, it was anything but as the Lions responded in style, finishing on level terms at 202/5 in their 20 overs. Sri Lanka were ahead for most of their run chase before failing to put the finishing touches.

It meant the packed Dubai crowd got treated to a Super Over, which unfortunately turned out to be a damp squib. Team India pacer Arshdeep Singh was at his usual best, nipping out the two Sri Lankan wickets for only two runs, leaving India a target of only three in their one over.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav completed the formalities in the first ball of India's reply, bringing the curtains down on one of the most thrilling T20Is of the year.

The memorable game drew varying views from several experts as Team India heads to the grand finale against Pakistan on Sunday, September 28.

Here are the top five expert reactions to the jaw-dropping India-Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2025 Super Four contest.

#1 Dinesh Karthik

Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes the close finish between Team India and Sri Lanka is just what the doctor ordered for an otherwise dull Asia Cup 2025. Karthik also expressed his wish for the Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan to follow suit.

"I hope the final is something as close to this in terms of the fun and excitement that was there in the game, because you want these kind of games. Sadly, Asia Cup hasn't been that competitive; we spoke about it at the start of the show, and we needed a close game. It so happened that it was a bit of a dead rubber, but still produced a brilliant game," he said (on Cricbuzz).

Karthik added:

"Both sides played wonderfully well, and again, in the big moment, India just found a way to cross the line, and that's what good teams do."

Incidentally, it will be the first time India plays Pakistan in an Asia Cup final in the tournament's 41-year history.

#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Sri Lanka probably deserved to win for their incredible performance with the bat. The Lankans were led by a brilliant 58-ball 107 from opener Pathum Nissanka with admirable support from Kusal Perera, who scored 58 off 32 deliveries.

"After this match, I had a slight fear that the India-Pakistan final would remind us of the 2017 Champions Trophy final. After a tough match, I thought Sri Lanka would win, they deserved to win for the wonderful batting display, but India won. The 2017 Champions Trophy, I also played it, it was not one of those great days. This game was all about how Sri Lanka were prepared," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

It was a second consecutive tied T20I between India and Sri Lanka, dating back to the series in Sri Lanka last year. However, the Men in Blue emerged victorious on both occasions.

#3 Kris Srikkanth

Former opener Kris Srikkanth warned India about complacency after their thrilling win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super Four clash. It was India's fifth consecutive T20I win over Sri Lanka and a 35th overall in their last 38 T20I outings.

"This was a huge warning sign for India. If they aren't careful, they might slip in the final against Pakistan. But today's game was definitely a wake-up call for India. Don't take any side lightly," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

While India are the defending Asia Cup champions, having triumphed in 2023, Sri Lanka won the tournament the last time it was played in the T20 format in 2022.

#4 Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra expressed his concerns over the reserve bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, over their poor showing in the Sri Lanka encounter. The duo had played in only one of India's five Asia Cup 2025 matches before last night's contest. While Arshdeep was unusually expensive with figures of 1/46 in four overs, Harshit was even worse with 1/54 in his four overs.

"One thing that stood out to me was that if you keep somebody on the bench for too long, no matter how good they are, they become rusty. That is what we saw with Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Yes, good batting, but they also looked extremely rusty to begin with," said Chopra (on ESPN Cricinfo).

Arshdeep is India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 101 scalps in 65 outings. However, he had been relegated to the sidelines for all the consequential games of the Asia Cup, with India prioritizing batting depth.

#5 Varun Aaron

Former Indian pacer Varun Aaron hailed Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav for withstanding the opposition's attacking batting and coming out with flying colors. The duo brought India back into the contest after Sri Lanka raced to 134/1 in the 13th over of their run chase of 203.

Both Kuldeep and Varun were tested, and they passed that test. The way they controlled their speeds and their lengths were commendable. It just shows that they do not fear any batter who tries to play shots against them. A lot of bowlers in their place would have tried to drop it short or go wide, but they did not. They just kept attacking," said Aaron (on ESPN Cricinfo).

The spin-bowling duo finished with combined figures of 2/62 in eight overs in a match where both teams scored at over 10 runs per over.