Dasun Shanaka reveals how CSK inspired his team to win the Asia cup final despite losing the toss

It was a fairytale ending for the Lankan Lions as they not only produced some exceptional team performances with both bat and ball but by the end they also overcame the toss factor, which has proved to be rather too decisive in the tournament before Sunday.

READ: Watch: Afghanistan fans celebrate as Sri Lanka wins Asia Cup 2022 after beating Pakistan by 23 runs

However, it wasn’t particular with Asia Cup as the games have been skewed too much in favour of the teams bowling second in the UAE, IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup 2021 being prime examples.

Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 147 to win the match by 23 runs.

Of the 11 matches played in the tournament before the final, the team batting first had won only thrice.

Two of those were when India and Pakistan beat Hong Kong and the other was when Virat Kohli’s century powered India to a big win over a tired Afghanistan side that was playing on back-to-back days.

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka had acknowledged at the toss that his side was up against it having been put in to bat, but had said even then that they could still win.

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After the match, he said that the team had in mind the final of IPL 2021,  when Chennai Super Kings batted first and won.

“In IPL 2021, Chennai won the match batting first and that is what was in my mind, we talked about it,” Shanaka said in the post-match press conference.

IPL 2021 was also played in the UAE and the teams batting second did win more even in that edition of India’s premier T20 tournament.

But CSK had batted first and ended up beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the summit clash.