The Sri Lankan team, led by Dasun Shanaka, won the Asia Cup for the sixth time by defeating Pakistan by a score of 23 runs in the final. When Sri Lanka batted first in the championship match, they were struggling at 58/5, but Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s unbeaten 71-run knock helped them reach 170/6 in 20 overs, and after that, Pramod Madushan’s four-wicket haul bowled out Pakistan for 147, giving Sri Lanka a 23-run victory.
It is crucial to remember that Sri Lanka does not automatically qualify for the 2017 T20 World Cup; instead, they must compete in the qualifying matches to ensure their spot in the group stage. Former Indian batter Virender Sehwag made an unconventional suggestion, stating it would be intriguing if teams that lose against opponents who haven’t qualified also lost their World Cup qualifying. “Well played Sri Lanka, deserving champions of #AsiaCup. Imagine, they haven’t qualified for the T20 World Cup which is to be held next month. Wouldn’t it be interesting if you lose to a team that hasn’t qualified you to lose qualification? Tote ud jaate sab teams ke. #SLvsPAK,” tweeted Sehwag.
