Sri Lanka secured a four-wicket win over Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2025
Captain Charith Asalanka criticised his team's inconsistent play
Pathum Nissanka scored 68 runs in the Match 7 victory
Hong Kong's captain Yasim Murtaza rued missed chances
Sri Lanka Vs Hong Kong, Asia Cup 2025: SL ‘Have To Do Much Better’ After Scraping Past HK, Says Asalanka
Sri Lanka beat Hong Kong by four wickets, but skipper Charith Asalanka criticised his team's poor bowling and demanded improvements ahead of tougher Asia Cup 2025 matches
Summary
After Sri Lanka won their Asia Cup 2025 Group B match against minnows Hong Kong by four wickets on Monday, September 15, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, captain Charith Asalanka expressed relief and urged his squad to perform better if they aim for deeper progress in the tournament. Pathum Nissanka hit a well-paced half-century, scoring 68 runs, but Sri Lanka still found chasing their 150-run target challenging.
Asalanka Demands Better Performance
Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka’s skipper, admitted his "heart was in our mouths" following the team's victory. He criticised the team's early bowling performance and a lapse during the 16th over when Sri Lanka lost important wickets, including his own. Asalanka called these issues "unacceptable".
"In the shorter format, these things can happen, but it cannot keep happening consistently," he added, and stressed that the team needed to analyse their performance and improve. "This is not the way we wanted to play. When we are playing these sides, there is always pressure, but as professionals, we have to do much better," he added.
Asalanka revealed that he had felt confident chasing Hong Kong's target of 150, explaining, "(We) felt confident because the pitch was looking good." He praised Hong Kong's batting but also pointed out Sri Lanka's "bad" bowling in their opening three overs.
Hong Kong Captain Laments Missed Chances
Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza expressed pride in his team's spirited display but regretted missed opportunities in the field. He praised their batting effort, specifically highlighting Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath's "crucial" partnership.
Murtaza stated that dropped catches "cost us the game". He confirmed, "We wanted 150-160, so (we) got what we wanted." Despite the loss, he saw playing on the "big stage" as "like a dream come true." "We will think on a lot of things (after going back) and work on that," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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