Right then, India have secured their place in the finale, and are eying their ninth Asia Cup title. But for that, they have a lot of wrinkles to iron out. Their middle order has underperformed, especially runs from Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson have been long overdue now. Secondly, they will need to improve their fielding massively. They play their next game against Sri Lanka on Friday, 26th September. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have been impressive in patches, but they will have to work really hard on their batting. But for that, they don't have enough time as they play Pakistan in less than 24 hours. That game will be played on 25th September, Thursday, and the first ball will be bowled at 8 pm IST (2.30 pm GMT). Do join us an hour earlier for the pre-match buildup and analysis. Till then, take care and cheers!

The victorious captain of India, Suryakumar Yadav, says they wanted to bat first in a crucial game to understand how the team would fare. He notes that there was no dew and the wicket slowed down in the second innings. Adds that Shivam Dube was a perfect matchup against a left-arm spinner and a leg-spinner that Bangladesh had. Shares that while that strategy did not fully work tonight, it is something they will look to try going forward. Yadav also mentions that a total of 180-185 would have been ideal if the outfield was fast, but he had confidence in his bowling unit to defend the total.

The stand-in captain of Bangladesh, Jaker Ali, reflects on the defeat. He says that it was quite surprising but credits the boys for adjusting well after the first ten overs and bowled really well. On the positives from the game, Jaker mentions the way they pulled things back with the ball in the second half. Shares that they have another big game coming up next against Pakistan and stresses the importance of playing well and winning to qualify for the finals. On making several changes in the playing XI for this game, he shares that they will decide the combination and give their best in the next game.

India's Abhishek Sharma is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his blistering knock of 75 off just 37 deliveries. He shares that he doesn’t overthink and simply plays the ball when it is in his range. Mentions that in previous matches, he tried to attack from the very first ball against certain bowlers, but in this game, on a new wicket, he wanted to assess the conditions first. Further says that with the ball seaming and swinging a bit, he and Shubman Gill took their time early on. States that he always tries to play according to the field, backing certain shots rather than going all out.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the game, Bangladesh invited India to put runs on the board. Tanzim Hasan Sakib really tested both Indian openers with pace and swing, but once Abhishek and Gill saw the new ball off cautiously, they went bang-bang. Sharma got off to his fifty in quick time, but got out eventually off a needless run out. And from there, too many tweaks in the batting order, coupled with good bowling and excellent showing in the field from Bangladesh, saw India slipping from 112/2 to 128/5. Of what appeared to be a 200-plus total when Abhishek was batting, India were reduced to below 170 as a result of excellent death over bowling from the pacers. They used the variations to perfection, and more importantly, they didn't let partnerships flourish post the halfway mark. Rishad Hossain picked up a couple of big wickets, whereas Mustafizur and Sakib were excellent through and through.

Saif Hassan deserves plenty of credit for the way he battled his way to 69. He held one end firmly even as wickets kept tumbling around him, before finally giving in to the mounting scoreboard pressure. Still, this knock was a statement - a reminder that he deserves a longer run in this format. His inclusion at the top has already given Bangladesh a touch of stability they have been craving. The real worry, though, continues to be the misfiring middle order, which has been a recurring concern in recent times. On top of that, the absence of Litton Das and his experience due to an injury was clearly felt in this batting lineup. Bossing the middle phase, India just continued to press on the opposition in the death overs as well, and just didn't give them any breathing space, eventually winning by 41 runs.

However, the scoring rate dipped considerably for Bangladesh once the spinners formed a tandem. Kuldeep, Axar, and Varun were used in that crucial middle phase, and completely squeezed the scoring. Varun, though, was taken to the cleaners in his first couple of overs, but made a strong comeback in his next two. Bangladesh slipped from a very comfortable 46/1 to 87/5. And in that middle phase of 7-15 overs, India completely choked Bangladesh for runs and by chipping away with wickets at regular intervals. 

Likewise in the first inning, there was a considerable swing for the seamers and Jasprit Bumrah utilised that to perfection. He provided an early breakthrough as well by dismissing Tanzid Hasan. A lot of false shots were induced and the ball beat the outside edge umpteen times against the new ball. However, Parvez Hossain Emon and Saif Hassan steadied things for a bit with Bangladesh posting 44/1 on the board at the end of the Powerplay.

INDIA STORM INTO THE FINALE OF THE ASIA CUP 2025! Almost a convincing win in terms of runs. But deep down, they know that their standards in the field have dropped considerably in the last couple of games. India's win means that Sri Lanka are knocked out of the race for the finals. And that also means that the clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in less than 24 hours, will serve as a virtual knockout with the winner meeting the Men in Blue in the summit clash on Sunday, 28th September. Bangladesh displayed a very impressive fight with the ball, but with the bat, barring Saif Hassan and Parvez Hossain Emon, nobody could cross double figures.

Tilak Varma to bowl the final over and will wrap up the game.