Super over, super drama and its superb heroes

By K.R. Nayar
From Dubai International Stadium

The India-Sri Lanka match was cricket’s retort to all those who belittled it, calling it inconsequential, irrelevant, and a meaningless clash, since Sri Lanka was already out of the tournament and India was through to the final. This contest’s result, decided through a super over, turned out to be the best match of the Asia Cup 2025. When two teams contest fiercely until the last ball and end up in a tie, one truly witnesses the splendour of this game.

 

Super over turns super easy over

 

The Sri Lankans deserve a thumbs up for lifting their game, though the end result proved that India are the kings under pressure. This is why they could convert the super over into a super easy over. To bowl a classic super over, one needs the skill to focus and stay calm. Arshdeep Singh possesses these two traits, a lot of that could be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.

 

Arshdeep Singh... calm and focused. Photo: ACC

Jayasuriya on momentum

 Sri Lanka’s head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, responding to a query from this reporter on where Sri Lanka lost momentum, said: “Nissanka played a brilliant innings to reach that total, but unfortunately he got out to the first ball of the last over. Right throughout those 20 overs, he batted really well. It is not easy to chase a score of 200, as one has to hit boundaries and sixes all the time. The two (Nissanka and Kusal Perera) batted very well for a 100-run partnership, and that was the key. The momentum was lost when we lost a few wickets, and that is natural because it happens when you are chasing a huge total. But it was a good game.”

 

Sanath Jayasuriya addresses the post-match press conference. Photo by K.R. Nayar

Behind Nissanka’s fighting spirit

 

In these kind of clashes, the heroes are often those who have been hardened by life’s experiences, which have turned them into fighters. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who scored a century and was rightly judged the player of the match, grew up the hard way. His father worked as a ground boy with a meagre income, and his mother sold flowers near a temple. This proved that champions can blossom from the humblest beginnings.

Pathum Nissanka.. rise from humble beginnings. Photo: ACC

Though Sri Lanka fought tooth and nail, what was different from the end result—other than India winning another match—was the many handshakes at the end. Since the final between India and Pakistan may not witness handshakes, the spirit with which the two teams played this tense match should stand out as a model game.

 

When does ball turn dead?

 

The fourth ball of the super over, in which Arshdeep appealed for a caught-behind decision against Dasun Shanaka, and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson appealed for a run out against the batsman, enlightened fans and even players on how a ball becomes dead the moment it is reviewed. Many Indian fans felt that rule was silly, but Bangladesh umpire Gazi Sohel deserves appreciation for calmly schooling the experienced Indian players as well as the Sri Lankan players, who were also unaware of it. Samson’s act of hitting the stumps looked like one hitting the pins in a bowling alley.

 

Match referee Richie Richardson (second from left) conducts the toss. Photo: ACC 

Match referee Richardson on T20 pressure

 

The attitude of both teams before the start was “nothing to lose, everything to gain.” Match referee and former West Indies skipper Richie Richardson embodied this carefree, nothing-to-lose approach. During his playing days, when this reporter had asked him whether Twenty20 puts a lot of pressure on today’s batters, he said: “Maybe for some, but for me it wasn’t. It did not matter to me which format I played. Some players are very good at adapting, some are not.” It was a sage advice with a touch of Caribbean swagger.

 

Baby Malinga and electrolyte level test

 

Lasith Malinga was Sri Lanka’s big hero at one time. Though he retired in 2021, his hairstyle wig is still being worn not only by Sri Lankans but also by Indians. Indian fans now use the colours of the Indian flag on the wig. Incidentally, Nuwan Thushara, who opened the bowling for Sri Lanka on Friday, and has a sling bowling action similar to Malinga, is called Baby Malinga or Podi Malinga (Little Malinga).

An Indian fan sporting the Malinga wig. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

The hard-fought match on Friday makes one wonder whether India really needed such a warm-up before the final in this hot weather. It has left Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma battling cramps.  So cricket isn’t just a game—it’s also a test of endurance, patience, and your electrolyte levels!