Rohit Sharma matches MS Dhoni, Azharuddin as India end five-year trophyless run with 8th Asia Cup title win

The Asia Cup title win couldn't have come at a better time with India slated to begin their ODI World Cup campaign at home in less than three weeks.

Team India finally ended their long wait for a trophy haul in a multi-nation event. On Sunday, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, India crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to bag their eighth Asia Cup title and first in a multi-nation event in five years. And it couldn't have come at a better time with India slated to begin their ODI World Cup campaign at home in less than three weeks.

India's skipper Rohit Sharma pose for a photo in front of the trophy ahead of their Asia Cup 2023 final match, at R.Premadasa Stadium, in Colombo(ANI )

Mohammed Siraj's record bowling performance of 6 for 21 and Hardik Pandya's three-wicket haul helped India fold Sri Lanka for just 50 runs in 15.2 overs. While Siraj recorded the best bowling figure for an India bowler in an Asia Cup match, Sri Lanka registered the lowest ever score in the tournament's history and their lowest ever in an ODI match against India

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In reply, India chased down the total in just 6.1 overs with Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill guiding India to a stunning 10-wicket win. With the match lasting just 129 deliveries, the 2023 Asia Cup final stands as the third-shortest ODI match ever while India registered their biggest ever win in the format in terms of balls remaining (263). This was also India's second 10-wicket win in an ODI final after 1998 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.

With the win, Rohit Sharma recorded an impressive piece of history as he equalled the legendary MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin with India's record-extending eighth Asia Cup title win. This was also Rohit's second Asia Cup win as a captain having earlier led a second-string Indian side to title win in 2018 when then regular skipper Virat Kohli was rested.

Rohit hence became the third Indian skipper to win more than one Asia Cup trophy, joining the likes of Dhoni and Azharuddin. Both Rohit and Azharuddin picked up two Asia Cup trophies in two finals (1991 and 1995) while Dhoni managed it in three finals.