Asia Cup 2023 Triumph Will Give India Momentum, Confidence Ahead Of ICC World Cup, Feels Shubman Gill

India will play Sri Lanka in the final of Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Colombo: Winning the Asia Cup 2023 will give India the required momentum going into the ICC World Cup next month at home, feels opener Shubman Gill. India will face Sri Lanka in the summit clash on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium. India qualified for the final after beating Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the first two Super Four games before losing to Bangladesh by six runs in a dead rubber on Friday.

A victory on Sunday will instill the winning habit in the Indian team and fill them with confidence, according to the 24-year-old. “Winning the (Asia Cup) final is very important for us because we need to create a winning habit,” said Gill, who scored a hundred against Bangladesh.

“Peaking at the right time and gaining momentum at the right time is important,” he added. “It is also important to maintain that momentum because losing in one or two matches can add pressure. Winning here will give us a lot of momentum and confidence going into the World Cup.”

However, the loss to Bangladesh won’t affect India’s momentum going into the final. “I don’t think we have lost any momentum. I think we gave away extra 10-15 runs to their (Bangladesh) lower-order batters, but that apart we played some good cricket.

“But these things happen on such kinds of wickets. Hopefully, we can execute these lessons in the final (of Asia Cup) and in the World Cup,” he said. Interestingly, India lost to Bangladesh for the first time in  an Asia Cup match after 2012.

Gill said Sri Lanka have been playing good cricket, and India needed to be at their best to beat them in the final. “I think they (SL) have great momentum with them. The way they won the last match (against Pakistan) was great to see.

“We will have to pull up our socks, and we have to be at our 100 percent to beat them,” he said. Gill said playing on slow-turning pitches in the Asia Cup will stand India in good stead during the approaching World Cup.

“It is a great practice for batsmen and bowlers because these are the kind of pitches that we generally play in India. Playing on these wickets against good teams against good oppositions under pressure will definitely help us in the World Cup,” he said.

Meanwhile, both teams have been hit by injuries before the final. While India have flown in Washington Sundar as a cover for injured Axar Patel, Sri Lanka named Sahan Arachchige in place of Maheesh Theekshana. He had strained his right hamstring during the game against Pakistan and will not be available for the final.