Colombo: As the world awaits an epic showdown in the grand finale, Team India would want to lay claim to the Asia Cup and return home with heads held high by defeating defending champions Sri Lanka in their backyard on Sunday.
A victory for India would serve as a tremendous confidence booster ahead of this year's ODI World Cup to be held in India, and the cricketing juggernaut will be eyeing nothing less than winning the cup for the eighth time at Premadasa Stadium here.
Both teams have an astonishing 13 Asia Cup titles collectively, with India boasting 7 and Sri Lanka 6.
For Sri Lanka, this is an opportunity to level the trophy count and make proud every Lankan who is going through a bad time, and surely the players are ready to rise to the occasion and meet the expectation of the subdued people by lifting the title.
This final showdown is a rematch of an earlier encounter in this tournament, where India emerged victorious in a low-scoring thriller on a challenging turner track at the same venue.
That match was a testament to the tenacity and skill of both teams, and it set the stage for what promises to be a captivating final. The scars of that previous contest are still fresh, and both sides will be eager to prove their mettle once again.
In head-to-head encounters, Sri Lanka and India have faced each other in 166 matches in ODI. Out of these, Sri Lanka have won 57, whereas India came out trumps on 97 occasions and one match was tied. (UNI)