(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
In the heart of Dubai, Sri Lanka’s cricket team is all set to take on Hong Kong in their Group B clash at the Asia Cup. On Monday, skipper Charith Asalanka called correctly at the toss and chose to bowl first, aiming to chase down the target on a pitch that looks pretty balanced.
Sri Lanka kicked off the Asia Cup on a high note with a solid six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Stars like Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Kusal Mendis stole the show in that thriller. On the flip side, Hong Kong has struggled big time—they suffered a massive 94-run defeat against Afghanistan and then lost by seven wickets to Bangladesh. With these back-to-back losses, Hong Kong’s hopes of reaching the Super Fours stage seem all but dashed. But for Sri Lanka, another win here could lock in their spot in the next round and boost their Asia Cup campaign.
Asalanka kept it straightforward during the toss chat: "The pitch looks decent. We prefer chasing. We’re making one switch—Maheesh Theekshana replaces Matheesha Pathirana. We’re thrilled with how we played Bangladesh; it was nearly a perfect game. We just need to keep the momentum going. No team is easy in T20s, so we’ll stick to the basics."
Hong Kong’s captain Yasim Murtaza didn’t hold back either. He pointed out their fighting spirit against Bangladesh, where they posted 143 runs and had the opponents reeling at two down for 47. But Litton Das turned things around for Bangladesh. Murtaza added, "We keep talking about wins, but a strong work ethic comes first. Our coach always says focus on the effort, and the results will follow. We’ve got a few areas to fix, but we’re ready to give it our all."
Here’s how the teams line up for this Asia Cup showdown:
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara.
Hong Kong Playing XI: Zeeshan Ali (wk), Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Shahid Wasif, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza (c), Aizaz Khan, Ayush Shukla, Ehsan Khan, Ateeq Iqbal.
Cricket fans, keep an eye on this one—Sri Lanka’s bowling attack could make it a short day for Hong Kong. Stay tuned for live updates from the Dubai International Cricket Stadium!
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