Wellalage all-round heroics went in vain, India won against Sri Lanka by 41 runs in a rain hit clash

India on Tuesday clinched a hard-earned victory against Sri Lanka in their second match of the Super 4 stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 beating Sri Lanka by 41 runs.

Chasing a target of 214 runs, the Sri Lankan side struggled from the get-go and lost wickets at crucial moments of the game.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav starred for India and took four wickets while conceding only 43 runs.

Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets each, whereas Mohammad Siraj and Hardik Pandya took one wicket each.

For Sri Lanka, 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage came out as the top scorer with 42 runs, followed by Dhananjaya de Silva’s 41 runs innings. The rain-affected match saw the Sri Lankan side bowled out in 41.3 overs.

With their second win in the Super 4 stage, India has qualified for the finals of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023.

Earlier in the day, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first. Despite the Indian captain scoring a 50, the Men in Blue had a shaky start after the Sri Lankan “young gun” Wellalage managed to pick up back-to-back wickets.

The Indian side was limited to 213 runs after Sri Lankan bowlers in an impressive display of bowling successfully managed to reign in the strong batting lineup in 49 overs.

The spinner took out half of the Indian batting lineup including key wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya.

Wellalage, 20, was roped in by Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 squad as Hasaranga’s replacement — who was ruled out due to a shoulder injury — and the youngster did not waste the opportunity to showcase his talent.

For India, skipper Rohit Sharma with his 53 runs inning, came out as the highest scorer in the match. Three of the Indian batsmen didn’t even manage to get to the double figures.

Meanwhile, for Sri Lanka, Wellage bagged a “five–for” while conceding only 40 runs. Charith Asalanka and Maheesh Theekshana took four and one wicket, respectively.

The Indian side was bowled out in 49.1 overs, giving Sri Lanka a target of 214 runs in 50 overs.