Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup 2025 campaign may have ended earlier than they hoped, but former captain Dasun Shanaka insists his side still has plenty to fight for. Ahead of their final Super Four clash against India in Dubai, Shanaka said that the defending T20 Asia Cup champions are determined to walk away with their pride intact.
India will stroll into their final Super Four game of the Asia Cup 2025 without a care about points or qualification. Their spot in Sunday’s final against Pakistan has long been sealed. For Suryakumar Yadav’s men, Friday’s clash against Sri Lanka is not about the result but it will about rhythm, confidence, and fixing flaws before the T20 World Cup 2026 next year.
Sri Lanka have nothing left but pride. Knocked out after back-to-back defeats, Charith Asalanka’s side will want to avoid leaving Dubai on a low. For a team that once lifted the Asia Cup T20 title in 2022 and reached the ODI final a year later, their campaign has been a massive disappointment.
Shanaka backs India as the team to beat
Speaking to reporters on the eve of the game, Shanaka admitted that India have looked like “the best opponent in the tournament” but quickly added that Sri Lanka would not back down. “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 said.
India have already sealed a spot in the final against Pakistan, while Sri Lanka’s losses to both teams ended their chances of qualification. Tonight’s clash, which is the last Super Four clash, would be important for the Lankan Lions too, who won’t be happy leaving the Asia Cup without a win in the Super Fours.
Shanaka singled out Suryakumar Yadav as a “big match player” despite his lean patch and praised Abhishek Sharma’s purple patch. “Abhishek Sharma in his prime form from IPL. So yeah, really happy for him,” he added. India’s batting has largely revolved around Abhishek Sharma, who is enjoying a breakthrough tournament with 248 runs at a strike rate of over 200. Beyond him, contributions have been patchy. Sanju Samson has struggled, and Tilak Varma and Shubman Gill have been limited to cameos, while captain Suryakumar has managed just 59 runs in four innings.
