The Indian Cricket team will be facing defending champions Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday, September 17. The Men in Blue will look to get their hands on the Asian trophy after missing out on the trophy match last year in the 20-over version. The tournament win will provide Rohit Sharma's men with the much-needed momentum heading into the home World Cup and opening batter Shubman Gill acknowledged it.
Indian opener Gill has stated that winning the Asia Cup will be important in giving the team the confidence and the momentum required for the World Cup. He highlighted that the team needs to create a winning habit and will look to peak at the right time with the 50-over marquee tournament coming ahead.
"Winning the (Asia Cup) final is very important for us because we need to create a winning habit. Peaking at the right time and gaining momentum at the right time is important," Friday's century-maker Gill said in a post-match press conference after India's close loss to Bangladesh.
"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," he added. India suffered their first loss in the Asia Cup and they were the last team to get beaten in the tournament. But the right-handed batter brushed away any such doubts. 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," the 24-year-old added.
India need to be at 100% to beat Sri Lanka: Gill
The right-handed batter also admitted that Sri Lanka have momentum with them and the Indian team will have to be at its best to down the defending champions. "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 per cent to beat them,” he said.
Indian batters have struggled against the spin and slow surfaces, as seen in the match against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Gill saw these pitches as a good preparation ahead of the World tournament. "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.
