After Sri Lanka was hammered by eight wickets by Afghanistan in the opening game of the Asia Cup 2022, not many expected them to go all the way in the tournament. Sri Lanka first defeated Bangladesh in a thriller to qualify for the Super Four stage.
Sri Lanka then took their revenge against Afghanistan as they won by four wickets in the Super Four stage. The Dasun Shanaka-led team then stunned India by six wickets as they were able to come up with a collective effort.
The Island country registered another win in the Super Four as they defeated Pakistan by five wickets. Sri Lanka continued their winning momentum and won their fifth match on the trot as they bested Pakistan by 23 runs to win the Asia Cup for the sixth time.
The team’s captain Dasun Shanaka revealed that the side had a serious discussion after the big loss against Afghanistan in the tournament’s curtain raiser. The side came up with a collective effort and they were able to reap rewards for the same.
Dasun Shanaka said in the post-match presentation, “I want to thank the crowd; they have been supporting us massively. Hopefully we made them proud today. In IPL 2021, Chennai won the match batting first and that is what was in my mind. These youngsters know the conditions really well. Wanindu made a huge impact after losing five wickets. Chamika and DDS batted really well too. The last ball six was the turning point. 170 was mentally the difference, as 160 always feels chasable. As a youngster, we knew Madushanka would deliver, and as a captain we had to back him. It can happen to any team in the world.”
He added, “[On the first game against Afghanistan] It happened for a good reason. We had serious discussions after that game. Each and every individual did well for us and that is how we became champions. The fielding improved a lot in the finals. We had some mistakes in the league stages. We were 100% today, credit to the players and the coaching staff. I want to thank the Sri Lankan cricket board and the selectors as well.”
Sri Lanka posted a par score of 170 runs on the board in the final against Pakistan after Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored a fine knock of 71 runs and they were able to get over the line by 23 runs.
