On Sunday, September 17, 2023, the sixth match of the Asia Cup ODI 2023 is set to take place between India and Sri Lanka at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

Despite a narrow six-run loss to Bangladesh in their previous match, India has been the standout team in this tournament. They secured victories against Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka earlier. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, the defending champions, put up a commendable performance in the group stage, defeating both Bangladesh and Nepal.

In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka continued to impress, clinching victories over Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, they faced a setback in their match against India. Now, they are gearing up for a highly anticipated showdown against India in the pivotal match of this tournament.

In their previous match against Bangladesh, India faced a six-wicket defeat after winning the toss and opting to field first. Unfortunately, their bowling performance fell short of expectations, allowing Bangladesh to amass 265 runs in their allotted 50 overs. Shardul Thakur emerged as India’s most successful bowler, claiming three crucial wickets while conceding 65 runs in his ten overs. Mohammad Shami also displayed a commendable effort, securing two wickets at the cost of 32 runs in eight overs. Prasidh Krishna contributed with one wicket, conceding 43 runs in his nine-over spell. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel chipped in with one wicket each, while Tilak Varma was the only bowler who remained wicketless.

Regrettably, India’s batting lineup struggled to make a significant impact, managing a total of 259 runs before the entire team was dismissed in the 49.5 overs. Shubman Gill emerged as the standout performer, showcasing excellent form in the tournament. He played a pivotal role, scoring 121 runs off 133 balls, featuring eight boundaries and five impressive sixes. Axar Patel also made a valuable contribution, adding 42 runs to the scoreboard from 34 deliveries, including three boundaries and two towering sixes.

Sri Lanka enters this upcoming match with the momentum of a significant victory over Pakistan, secured by a narrow two-wicket margin. This match was affected by rain and was subsequently reduced to 42 overs per side due to the weather conditions. Sri Lanka lost the toss and was asked to field first. Unfortunately, their bowling performance did not live up to expectations, allowing Pakistan to accumulate 252 runs in 42 overs.

Matheesha Pathirana stood out as Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler, claiming three wickets in his eight-over spell, although he conceded 65 runs. Despite the substantial wicket haul, Pathirana’s form suggests he could be a key contributor in the upcoming match.

Pramod Madushan secured two wickets but struggled with economy, giving away 58 runs in his seven overs. M. Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage managed to pick up one wicket each, while Dhananjaya de Silva and the team’s captain, Dasun Shanaka, went wicketless in the previous match.

Sri Lanka’s victory was primarily propelled by their strong batting performance. They successfully chased down a target of 253 runs in 42 overs. Kusal Mendis was the standout batsman, accumulating 91 runs off 87 deliveries, featuring eight boundaries and a towering six. Charith Asalanka remained unbeaten with 49 runs, while Sadeera Samarawickrama contributed 48 runs to the team’s winning effort.

India boasts a formidable and highly experienced ODI cricket team, leaving little doubt about their overall strength, especially when compared to Sri Lanka, at least on paper. According to Asia Cup predictions, India emerges as the favored team to clinch this upcoming match. Several factors contribute to India’s status as the frontrunner in this contest, including:

• Strong Record Against Sri Lanka: India has maintained a commendable track record when facing Sri Lanka in ODI matches.
• Previous Victory Over Sri Lanka: India has already secured a victory against Sri Lanka in the ongoing tournament, underscoring their competitive edge.
• Impressive Bowling Performance: India’s bowlers have consistently delivered strong performances throughout the tournament, further bolstering their chances of success.
• Potent Batting Lineup: India possesses a formidable batting order, notably stronger than Sri Lanka’s, which enhances their ability to set competitive targets or chase down totals.
• Overall Strong Performances: Both India and Sri Lanka have showcased impressive performances in this tournament, adding to the anticipation and excitement surrounding their upcoming encounter.

India’s ODI squad presents a blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talents. With a robust batting lineup that includes renowned ODI hitters, India’s prospects for today’s match have significantly improved. The match prediction for today and the chances of winning are as follows:

India: The team holds a 60% probability of winning this 6th Match.
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka is assigned a 40% chance of winning this 6th Match.

The toss will carry significant weight in determining the outcomes of all the matches in the Asia Cup 2023. Securing a substantial total on the scoreboard is a notable advantage, especially in high-stakes encounters like these. As per the toss prediction, the team winning the toss is likely to opt for batting first.

The forthcoming 6th match of Asia Cup ODI 2023 is scheduled to take place at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. This pitch is renowned for its flat batting surface characterized by substantial pace and bounce. However, in contrast to some previous pitches, this one tends to offer a slower pace, making it conducive to spin bowling.

Anticipating that the pitch will gradually deteriorate and become less favorable for batting as the match progresses, we can expect a score of 270 to 280 to be quite challenging to chase down.

Colombo is currently experiencing substantial rainfall, and the weather forecast indicates that it will not be overly hot, potentially posing a physical challenge to the players. While some clouds are predicted on the day of the match, there is no forecast for rain. This suggests that we can anticipate a full and uninterrupted 6th Match without any weather-related disruptions.

India had faced Sri Lanka in 166 ODI matches where they had won 97 matches while Sri Lanka had won 57 matches. One match of these two teams was not decided and one match was tied and 11 matches came without any result.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar/Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madhushan/Dushan Hemantha, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana.

Captain: Virat Kohli
Captain: Dananjaya de Silva
Kusal Mendis, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav

• Date: Sunday, 17th September 2023
• Time: 09:30 AM GMT / 02:30 PM LOCAL / 03:00 PM IST

• Stadium: R.Premadasa Stadium
• Location: Colombo, India
• Opened: 1986
• Capacity: 35,000
• Known as: Khettarama Stadium (until June 1994)
• Ends: Khettarama End, Scoreboard End
• Time Zone: UTC +05:30
• Home to: India
• Floodlights: Yes

• Total matches: 158
• Matches won batting first: 87
• Matches won bowling first: 61
• Average 1st Inns scores: 232
• Average 2nd Inns scores: 191
• Highest total recorded: 375/5 (50 Ov) by IND vs. SL
• Lowest total recorded: 78/10 (33.1 Ov) by SLW vs ENGW
• The highest score chased: 292/4 (48.3 Ov) by SL vs. AUS
• The lowest score defended: 170/10 (49.2 Ov) by WIW vs SLW

Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (WK), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma.