In an act of kindness that extended beyond the game, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav comforted Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage following their Asia Cup Super 4 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Wellalage, 22, recently lost his father, Suranga Wellalage, to a heart attack. In spite of his loss, he bravely and resolutely returned to play for Sri Lanka in the Super 4 stage.
After the Super Over that India narrowly won, Yadav went up to Wellalage on the field. He put a reassuring hand on Wellalage’s shoulder, offered encouraging words, and gave him a tender embrace. Suryakumar’s gesture of compassion demonstrated the genuine meaning of sportsmanship and served as a reminder to all that players have human feelings and experiences outside of competition.
Yadav’s gesture served as a poignant reminder to Wellalage that empathy and understanding may provide solace in times of sorrow.
India defeated Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup to maintain their winning streak. India achieved a solid score of 202 for five when they batted first. Leading the way with a scorching 61 off 31 balls—his third half-century in a row—was Abhishek Sharma. With a score of 49, Tilak Varma remained undefeated, and Sanju Samson contributed 39 runs.
Pathum Nissanka scored the first century of the tournament (107 off 58 balls) as Sri Lanka fought back. He and Kusal Perera (58) shared a crucial 127-run partnership that forced a Super Over as Sri Lanka levelled the scores.
Arshdeep bowled a brilliant Super Over, capturing two wickets in five balls and conceding just two runs. Then, on the opening ball of their chase, Suryakumar Yadav gave India victory by hitting Wanindu Hasaranga for three runs through the covers.
India stretched their winning streak to six, staying unbeaten in the tournament and will now face Pakistan in the final. It will be the first-ever Asia Cup summit clash between the two arch-rivals, scheduled for Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
