We want players to stand up in big moments and pressure situations and a lot of the guys stood up: Rohit Sharma

In a remarkable display of cricketing prowess, India secured their 8th Asia Cup title by comfortably chasing down a modest target of 51 runs against Sri Lanka in a one-sided final at Colombo. The outcome of the match appeared predestined from the moment Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan skipper, elected to bat after winning the toss, only to witness his team crumble under the relentless onslaught of Mohammed Siraj, who recorded exceptional figures of 6 for 21 in 7 overs.

The right-arm pacer was nothing short of a bowling maestro during this final clash. He dismantled the Sri Lankan batting lineup with precision, taking four wickets in just six balls, rendering their innings a shambles. Not content with this feat, he continued his domination and eventually etched his name in the record books with his phenomenal figures of 6/21. Seamers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah also contributed to the Sri Lankan demise, claiming three and one wicket, respectively.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, India's captain Rohit Sharma was effusive in his praise for the collective efforts of his team throughout the tournament. He commended Siraj's remarkable performance, stating,

"We all complimented him and were behind him when he was bowling that spell. He bowled seven overs which is a lot. I wanted to keep bowling him, but I got a message from our trainer that we need to stop him now. He was also quite desperate to bowl."

The India opener also highlighted the exceptional comeback of KL Rahul, who had been nursing an injury for several months and had to replace an injured Shreyas Iyer just moments before the toss. Rohit remarked,

"It's so tough when you have to come back like that, Five minutes before the toss, we told him he's playing. To get a hundred like that shows the quality of the player, how mentally he's ready for the challenge. We want players to stand up in big moments and in big pressure situations and a lot of the guys stood up."

Rohit acknowledges Kuldeep’s contribution to the team

Praising the outstanding contributions of Kuldeep Yadav, who was instrumental in India’s decisive victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Kuldeep plucked nine wickets in the tournament averaging 11 and was named the Man of the Series, The Hitman said,

"His confidence has gone up over the last 1-1.5 years. Whenever he's got the chance, he's bowled well. He's brought the team back from tough situations, which is a good quality."