India have opted to rest senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Shivam Dube against Sri Lanka in their final Super-Four clash of the 2025 Asia Cup on Friday. The Men in Blue have picked Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh in their place, deepening their bowling reserves with a slight cut on the batting side.
Bumrah’s rest was expected. India have already qualified for Sunday’s final against Pakistan and this match is only a formality, as even Sri Lanka don’t have a chance to reach the summit clash.
“We just want to continue doing what we have been doing,” captain Suryakumar Yadav said after the toss, which he lost, and where his team was asked to bat first.
“We were actually looking to bat first. Good atmosphere, good game and we are looking forward
to it. It is part of the game (dropped catches). We have two changes – Bumrah and Dube are out, Arshdeep and Harshit come in,” he added.
Although the pacer isn’t carrying any injury (at least according to the public information from the team’s sdie) but his body needs to be managed since he suffered a serious back injury earlier this year. He could only play three Tests against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to workload management and with a packed schedule looming, it’s no surprise that he won’t play a dead rubber.
Dube’s exclusion is more surprising, given he had not had much game-time in the leadup to this tournament and was only just getting into rhythm. However, it could be the team’s way to give Arshdeep, who is the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20I history, another chance.
This means India’s batting ends at number seven, with Rana still unproven as a bowling all-rounder, but the bowling will have four specialist options alongside two excellent all-rounder Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya.
India (Playing 11): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka also made one change, with Janith Liyange coming in for Chamika Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka (Playing 11): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka(c), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana and Nuwan Thushara
