Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 23 runs in Dubai on Sunday to secure their 6th Asia Cup. Pundits had allowed Sri Lanka little opportunity of making the Super Four after an embarrassingly opening defeat against Afghanistan. 

However, Dasun Shanaka’s side then racked up five progressive victories, taking them to Asia Cup glory. Batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s batting masterclass and Wanindu Hasaranga’s overall splendour got Sri Lanka’s 23-run win against Pakistan in the final. 

THE FIVE TAKEAWAY POINTS

Sri Lanka Shock

Bhanuka Rajapaksa marked the accomplishment as a “great win” for the island country in the midst of their economic crisis. 

“As a nation, I think it’s a great win … with all the crisis happening back home, these are tough times for Sri Lankans. We are glad and hope that we brought some smiles to their faces,”

he said. 

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said winning the Asia Cup will help the team’s groundwork for the following month’s Twenty20 World Cup. Sri Lanka are due to begin their World Cup campaign with a qualifying match against Namibia on October 16. The island country had won the T20 World Cup in 2014.

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra took to Twitter to share his views on Sri Lanka winning the Asia Cup in Dubai for the 6th time.

I am thrilled at Sri Lanka’s victory this evening. Not because I wanted Pakistan to lose. But because Sri Lanka’s victory reminds us that Team Sports are not about celebrities & superstars but about—yes—Teamwork! #AsiaCup2022Final

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 11, 2022

King Kohli is back

Despite the fact that India couldn’t qualify for the finals, Virat Kohli scored 276 tournament runs at an average of 92, with his 122 not out against Afghanistan becoming his first century for India in any format since November 2019. It was also his first three-figure score in a Twenty20 international. Kohli’s extended batting slump had become a major discussion but he hushed the gab. Kohli was the second highest scorer of the competition, just outperformed by Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, whose 55 in the last over pushed him in front with 281 runs from six matches.

Naseem Shah – new star arises

Pakistan’s bowling attack was without the injured pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi yet another Shah, young Naseem, adapted to the situation. The 19-year-old’s express pace saw him take seven wickets in five matches and he was also a match-winner with the bat – – his two last-over sixes in the exhilarating win over Afghanistan brought his team into the final. Shah signed off the Asia Cup in typical fashion by taking a wicket in the first over in Sunday’s final, stupendously evacuating Kusal Mendis’ off stump after Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had won the toss and chose to bowl.

Afghanistan threat

Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi anticipated they will “come back stronger” for the T20 World Cup where his side will be hoping to disturb the established cricket powers. In the first match, his side bundled out possible heroes Sri Lanka for 105 in the first match, which Afghanistan won by eight wickets with almost 10 overs in excess. Afghanistan then pounded Bangladesh and in the Super Four gave Pakistan a powerful panic prior to going somewhere near one wicket in the last over of an ill-tempered conflict. The majority of the team learnt their cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan and they have taken goliath steps since getting Test status in 2017.

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Shakib’s Cup of burden

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan returned as skipper after he bowed to a Bangladesh Cricket Board final offer to scrap an arrangement with a wagering site. However, his presence had little effect on Bangladesh’s sad T20 record as they failed  to come to the Super Four after losing group matches to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Shakib returned figures of 1-13 with his left-arm turn against Afghanistan and afterward made 24 in the Sri Lanka rout, Bangladesh’s fifteenth T20 misfortune in their last matches, yet demanded his team had a “plan set in pace” to get to the next level.