JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul>
    <li><a href="">I would like this text centered vertically sdfdsfdsfsd fds fds f ds fds fs df sd fsdfsd</a></li>
    
    <li><a href="">I would like this text centered vertically sdfdsfdsfsd fds fds f ds fds fs df sd fsdfsd</a></li>
</ul>

CSS

ul {
    width: 100%;
    background: red;
}

li {
    width: 300px;
    height: 100px;
    background: cyan;
}

li a {
    width: 275px;
    height: 80px;
    background-color: yellow;
    display: -webkit-flex;
    display: -moz-flex;
    display: flex;
    -webkit-align-items: center;
    -moz-align-items: center;
    align-items: center;
}