Did Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma Lead India to Victory Over Sri Lanka?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Abhishek Sharma scored his third consecutive half-century, contributing 61 runs.
- Tilak Varma played a crucial role with 49* runs.
- India posted a strong total of 202/5 in 20 overs.
- Sanju Samson added 39 runs to the score.
- India showed resilience despite losing early wickets.
Dubai, Sep 26 (NationPress) Abhishek Sharma achieved his third consecutive half-century in the tournament as India amassed a remarkable total of 202/5 in 20 overs against Sri Lanka during their Super 4 stage encounter of the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The middle-order duo of Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma made significant contributions, propelling India to a formidable total following Abhishek’s dismissal in the initial phase of the innings.
India, batting first, encountered an early setback when Maheesh Theekshana dismissed Shubman Gill in the second over, leaving India at 15/1 after 1.3 overs. However, Abhishek and captain Suryakumar Yadav maintained the momentum and advanced the innings.
Abhishek continued his impressive form, scoring yet another half-century to top the scoring charts for India. Unfortunately, the skipper faced another low score, getting out for just 12 runs off 13 balls after being dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga.
Opener Abhishek displayed remarkable composure, consistently finding the boundary even as wickets tumbled at the other end. His innings concluded in the ninth over when Charith Asalanka finally claimed his wicket. Abhishek scored 61 runs off 31 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes, having previously scored 75 against Pakistan.
Varma and Samson provided a crucial partnership under pressure, effectively taking on the Sri Lankan bowlers. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 39 runs off 23 balls, including three sixes and a four, helping to boost the second half of India’s innings.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya had a disappointing outing, getting dismissed for a mere 2 runs off 3 balls. Nonetheless, Varma anchored the innings skillfully, finishing unbeaten at 49* off 34 balls. Axar Patel also contributed with a quick 21 runs off 15 balls while partnering with Varma.
In total, six bowlers were utilized for the 20 overs, with five of them claiming a wicket each, as the Lankan Lions struggled to contain the Indian batters from surpassing the 200-run mark.
Brief scores:
India 202/5 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 61, Tilak Varma 49*, Sanju Samson 39; Maheesh Theekshana 1-36, Charith Asalanka 1-18) against Sri Lanka
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