Who will be the first Indian to score a century in an Asia Cup final on sunday?

India and Sri Lanka are all set to clash in the mega final of the sixteenth edition of the Asia Cup. The Asian giants will lock horns with each other to battle it out for Asia’s supremacy. The summit clash is scheduled to take place on a Super Sunday, September 17^th, 2023, at the historic R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Men in Blue have won the elusive title six times (ODI format) with the Lankan Lions just behind them with five.

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The last three times both sides met in the ultimate clash were in three consecutive editions in the years 2004, 2008, and 2010, respectively. The Lankans managed to beat their rivals in 2004 and 2008, while team India defeated them in 2010, in their own den. Notably, the Lions are the current holders of the Asia Cup (T20I format), as they lifted the trophy last year, in Dubai.

Speaking about the leading run-getters for India in the history of this competition, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar tops the chart with 971 runs to his name. The current India skipper, Rohit Sharma, is on the brink of breaking that record as he has smashed 939 runs in Asia Cups overall. The right-handed opener would hope to surpass Sachin’s record as he looks to lead his side from the front.

No India batter has ever scored a century in an Asia Cup Final game

Indian players have managed to slam a century in the final of various other big tournaments but when it comes to the Asia Cup, there is not a single one who has reached the three-figure mark in the summit clash. Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin has the highest individual score of 90* for India in all Asia Cup finals. The right-hander did the job against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in the 1995 edition.

Probable players who can become the first centurion for India in an Asia Cup Final

Talking about the upcoming final, a few of the in-form Indian players can break the jinx against Sri Lanka on Sunday, September 17. Opener Shubman Gill is fresh from his century against Bangladesh in the last game of the Super Fours round. Star batter Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul have already smashed a ton against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. These three players might finally achieve the feat of scoring a hundred in the finals of this historic competition.

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Interestingly enough, many cricket experts and fans alike are still backing Suryakumar Yadav, who can finally prove his ODI credentials by playing a significant knock of his career in this format. The right-hander has scored only two fifties in 25 innings but this could be the perfect time to finally announce himself in the 50-overs format that might also earn him a spot in the playing XI of the World Cup.