'That's very rare': Asia Cup 2023 final left even India skipper Rohit Sharma stunned

India secured their eighth Asia Cup title in the year 2023 with a commanding 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. The match featured an outstanding performance by Mohammed Siraj, who etched his name in history by recording the finest bowling figures ever achieved by an Indian in this prestigious continental tournament. Siraj's remarkable spell resulted in him taking 6 wickets for a mere 21 runs, effectively dismantling the home side as they were dismissed for just 50 runs. Subsequently, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan efficiently completed the brief run chase for the Indian team.

3 things you need to know

• Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first against India
• India bowled superbly to clean Sri Lanka up for just 50 runs
• Openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan then finished the chase in 6.1 overs

Also Read: Asia Cup: Mohammed Siraj Bowls Dream Spell As India Win First Title In Multi-nation Event Since 2018

Rohit Sharma lauds Indian bowlers

After the match, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on his pacers for their performance on the field. Indian pacers took all the wickets in the Sri Lankan innings. Talking about Mohammed Siraj's spell, Rohit said he has not seen many bowlers who can move the ball in the air and also off the pitch. The Indian opener further thanked his other teammates who took part in the competition at various stages. 

"It was a great performance, especially to come and play like that in a final. Shows the mentality of the team. Our seamers are actually working really hard for many years, so it's pleasing for the side to see them rewarded like that. Very clinical. A performance like that will be cherished for a very long time. I never thought the ball was going to be doing that much, again it comes back to the skillset of the individuals. That's very rare, you don't see many guys who can move it in the air and off the pitch. And the other guys also who took part at various stages, they all played their part," Rohit Sharma said. 

"We took all we could from this series, it's quite pleasing to move in this direction with this kind of confidence. In the first game against Pakistan under pressure 4 down, how Hardik and Kishan batted in that pressure got us to that total. And then KL and Virat getting that hundred was brilliant to see. Also Gill, he's in terrific form, he's a batting freak. He likes to keep batting and it's something that works for our team. A lot of the guys at various stages bailed the team out in pressure situations," he added.

Also Read: 'Jitna Naseeb...': Mohammed Siraj's Million-dollar Reaction After Asia Cup-winning Display

India to take on the Aussies before their Cricket World Cup campaign

This victory held significant importance for India as it was their first title in a multi-nation event since their Asia Cup 2018 win. India will now play a three-match ODI series against Australia before starting their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign. The ODI World Cup is slated to be held in India from October 5 to November 19. India are scheduled to play their first match against Australia in Chennai on October 8.  

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