Dasun Shanaka cherishes ‘wonderful’ followers as Sri Lanka search back-to-back Asia Cup titles
Sri Lanka are the crew you need to love, and why not? In 16 males’s Asia Cups – throughout ODIs and T20Is – they’ve made 12 finals and received six.
They may not have the massive weapons of the previous like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene or Muttiah Muralidaran, however in Dasun Shanaka, they’ve a captain whom the followers love, and who has led a turnaround by way of outcomes. And in Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka, there is a younger however robust center order creating in white-ball cricket, one thing which regularly offers its followers cheerful moments.
“Fans have been amazing in the recent past,” Shanaka mentioned. “The days the guys have performed has attracted more crowds to the game. The youngsters have been amazing in the last two years, and the record is good. The fans see that we are fighting in the middle, whatever the end result is. That is what is important.
“Even within the India sport, we fought after the [first] ten overs within the bowling. Fans wish to see the children Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana, and [how] the younger batsmen like Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka chip within the sport. Not to overlook Sadeera and Kusal Mendis as nicely. They eagerly waited [for] so lengthy for these guys to carry out. Now everybody desires to look at what they’re doing. The followers have to get pleasure from other than their jobs, and they’re devoting time. That’s the most effective factor that has occurred.”
Yet Sri Lanka hardly start a multi-team tournament as favourites. The underdogs tag is something the unit under Shanaka has grown to live with, and almost revel in. However, one standout feature has been how they’ve kept their nerve and coming out on the right side of the results in high-pressure games, like the one on Thursday against Pakistan, which was a digital semi-final.
Despite a late collapse, Asalanka kept his cool to finish the chase off on the last ball after Sri Lanka’s innings was set up by Mendis and Samarawickrama.
That the near-capacity crowd at the Premadasa Stadium stayed on well beyond 1am to cheer for the team was indication of how the public has been pleased with this side too. The noise after the winning runs were hit prompted smartwatches to ask if their users would prefer moving to a quieter place.
“It’s not a brand new factor for Sri Lankan followers,” Shanaka said ahead of the Asia Cup final against India. “After a match finishes, I get numerous messages: ‘Why [do] you guys at all times give us coronary heart assaults?’. We had been very emotional [on qualifying for the final] – and the gang as nicely. It is an enormous factor for us to come back to the ultimate in two consecutive years.”
Save for the grandstand that is priced at LKR 40,000 (approx. US $124), the tickets for the other stands have been sold out in the lead-up to the final.
But while things look hunky-dory as far as Sri Lanka’s results are concerned – they were on a run of 13 consecutive ODI wins and had bowled the opposition out in 14 successive matches before the slip up against India – Shanaka’s form with the bat hasn’t been fine. He last crossed fifty in January, when he scored 108 not out against India. Since that innings, he has averaged a mere 10 in 16 innings, with a strike price of solely 72.46.
But Shanaka appears unfazed. “I do not evaluate my batting after I go to steer the crew,” he said. “My decision-making is extra vital than being a batsman within the center. I’m not saying batting is just not vital, however I have to overlook no matter occurred with the bat.
“I need to be calm and cool whenever the decisions need to be taken. I see myself most of the time as someone who makes good decisions even after failing with the bat, which has helped the team overcome the problems we had. I must thank the selectors for keeping trust in me. They and the coaching staff back me and give me confidence to be that leader to deliver the maximum out of me.”
Shanaka has an opportunity so as to add one other Asia Cup title in Sri Lanka’s kitty to attract stage with India for many titles.