In a compelling statement ahead of their final Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup, Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka conveyed his team’s unwavering spirit to compete fiercely against India in Dubai. Even though Sri Lanka has been eliminated from the tournament, Shanaka stressed that this match is a critical opportunity to ‘prove a point’ and fine-tune their strategies for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host next year.
India has already secured their place in the Asia Cup final, where they will face Pakistan, while Sri Lanka’s journey in the Super Four stage ended with two losses, following an impressive unbeaten run in the group phase. Shanaka articulated his team’s motivation, telling ANI, “India is the best opponent in the tournament. We are looking for a fine match and need to prove a point. We are still good enough, but unfortunately out. But we’ve got a World Cup coming up, so this is a good clash against India. So, the boys have got a point to prove in this competition before leaving Dubai.”
Shanaka himself has consistently performed well against India in T20 Internationals, accumulating 430 runs across 22 innings at an average of 26.87, including two half-centuries, and maintaining a striking rate above 140. His highest score against India remains an unbeaten 74.
The Sri Lankan all-rounder lauded India’s long-standing dominance in T20 cricket, acknowledging the effectiveness of their cricketing infrastructure. He singled out Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav as a ‘big match player,’ despite Yadav’s recent dip in form. “Yeah, see, I like the way SKY (Suryakumar) plays. He has not scored many runs in this competition. But you know, he is a big match player and with the bowling, of course, Jasprit Bumrah,” Shanaka remarked.
Suryakumar Yadav has had a challenging tournament, managing only 59 runs in four innings, with his best being an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan. His 2023 T20I performance has been particularly tough, with only 87 runs from nine innings at an average of 12.42 and a strike rate of 112.98.
Shanaka also praised Abhishek Sharma’s exceptional performance, noting, “Abhishek Sharma in his prime form from IPL. So yeah, really happy for him.” Abhishek Sharma has been a standout player, leading the tournament’s run-scoring charts with an impressive 248 runs in five innings, averaging 49.60 with a phenomenal strike rate of 206.66. He is just 34 runs shy of breaking Pakistan’s Mohammed Rizwan’s record for the highest runs in a T20I Asia Cup. Sharma’s overall T20 performance in 2023 has been remarkable, boasting 966 runs in 23 innings at an average of 42, and a strike rate exceeding 203, including two centuries and five fifties.
The Sri Lankan squad for the tournament includes Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara, Dunith Wellalage, Kamil Mishara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Binura Fernando, and Janith Liyanage. India’s formidable squad features Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma.