Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga have turn into family names in latest occasions, partly due to what they’ve completed for Sri Lanka however largely due to their exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While Rajapaksa featured for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022, Hasaranga donned the Royal Challengers Bangalore purple, with each having fun with extremely profitable seasons.
Thus, each have been anticipated to play a large position for Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup. Not simply because their skill-set is unrivalled but additionally due to the experience they introduced to the fore. And on Sunday, with 1,000,000 eyeballs gazing at how Sri Lanka would react to strain, each of them emerged from the rubble unscathed.
There have been numerous events when Pakistan put Sri Lanka underneath strife in the ultimate. The first of these got here in the opening over when Naseem Shah despatched Kusal Mendis’ off stump flying. Pathum Nissanka adopted swimsuit quickly after, with Danushka Gunathilaka additionally biting the mud in the sixth over.
At one stage, Sri Lanka discovered themselves staring down the barrel at 58/5. Rajapaksa was nonetheless round and he had Hasaranga for firm. Yet, contemplating how their batting unit had excelled up till the ultimate, this was a bitter capsule to swallow.
Most groups, and most gamers would have wilted underneath the weight of expectations. This was, lest we neglect, the first time Sri Lanka had made the Asia Cup ultimate since 2014. And right here they have been, making an attempt their utmost to make that appear a cheerful anomaly moderately than a promising signal of issues to come.
Hasaranga and Rajapaksa have been excellent towards Pakistan
But Hasaranga and Rajapaksa had different concepts. For these unaware, Rajapaksa is a free-flowing batter by nature and barely permits bowlers to settle. He has an unlimited array of strokes and might assault any sort of bowling. On Sunday, although, he determined to bide his time. He opted to assess his choices and wait – one thing that Rajapaksa isn’t actually related to, however one thing that merely wanted to be performed.
This game-awareness, in some ways, is a product of the IPL. At the Punjab Kings, the left-handed batter was normally given the license to thrill. The strain conditions, nonetheless, additionally train you the way to change tack when crucial – a studying he used to nice impact towards Pakistan on Sunday.
Three of his first 4 boundaries got here in the third-man area, which for a batter normally very highly effective down the floor, was a refreshing change. The different boundary, as you may need guessed by now, was a crisp lofted additional cowl drive off Shadab Khan.
Of the 71 runs that he scored towards Pakistan, solely 59.1% got here in boundaries. That won’t be a nasty tally for lots of batters however for Rajapaksa, who has, all through his T20 profession, scored 63.17% of runs in boundaries, it was a refreshing tweak in method. It was an adjustment that was maybe borne out of the state of affairs. However, it was additionally a modification that he was ready to make as a result of he was assured in his skills – assured that he will probably be ready to tide over this robust interval and money in when the time is correct.
And he did. Towards the finish of the innings, he unfurled his total repertoire of strokes. Sixes have been launched over backward sq. leg and further cowl. An bold ramp off Naseem Shah got here out too and the highly effective strokes down the floor more and more turned a characteristic.
While Rajapaksa was alternating fantastically between the completely different batting gears he’s blessed with, Hasaranga grabbed the bull by the horns. He took aside the Pakistan bowling unit, all whereas proclaiming that he and Sri Lanka owned the stage. His batting in the previous few months has not fetched him as many rewards because it did at the begin of his profession. If you have been to watch Hasaranga on Sunday, although, you’d by no means have identified.
Hasaranga then returned to produce an impressive seventeenth over, which included three prized scalps to flip the sport firmly in Sri Lanka’s favour. Maheesh Theekshana, one other Sri Lankan who performs for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, held his personal too, solely conceding 25 runs from 4 overs.
Apart from being real match-winners, the different thread that ties up Hasaranga and Rajapaksa is their time in the IPL. This competitors, other than serving to Indian home expertise come to the fore, can also be very fruitful for abroad stars who may normally not get as a lot of a platform to check themselves towards the greatest.
They accomplish that for 2 months, wrapped up in a bio-bubble and when cricket is the sole underlying theme. And after they don the Sri Lankan colors, they not solely illustrate how to navigate their manner out of tough terrains, they lead the cost.
Good toss to lose boys !! Showed character and keenness to play for the nation and so pleased with every one… take pleasure in the victory as total nation will.. good group effort #AsiaCup2022 👊
The unimaginable facet about Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup victory has been how completely different gamers have stood up at completely different junctures. But everybody related to Sri Lankan cricket will let you know that when push got here to shove, prefer it did in the summit conflict on Sunday, their skilled stars got here by way of.
When Sri Lanka have been 58/5, they might have been forgiven to take into consideration their horror defeat to Afghanistan earlier in the event. That was additionally the solely time that they had batted first at this Asia Cup. The stage was set for all the pieces to unravel and for everybody to dub Sri Lanka one-trick ponies and fortunate entrants in the ultimate.
Hasaranga and Rajapaksa, although, had different concepts. It was not simply down to talent (each of them possess that in abundance anyway). But it was additionally about how they soaked up the strain and at all times backed themselves to get the job performed. They used their experience in the IPL to ace the big occasion and that, contemplating a T20 World Cup can also be on the horizon, ought to make the Sri Lankan devoted drool over what this group may go on to obtain.
Coming quickly!
Discussion about this post