Sri Lanka boosted their chances of reaching the ‘Super 4’ stage in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 with a four-wicket victory over Hong Kong in Dubai on Monday, September 15. But despite the result, skipper Charith Asalanka admitted he was not satisfied with his side’s overall performance.
“The heart was in the mouth (at the end). Disappointed about a few things. First three overs in the bowling. Then, with the bat, in the 16th over, we lost a few wickets, including mine. Consistently, these things can’t happen even in the shorter formats. We are professionals, and we have to do much better,” Asalanka said at the post-match presentation.
He also credited Hong Kong for their fight. “Credit to them, they batted well. There is pressure playing against every side,” he added.
Batting first, Hong Kong posted a respectable 149/4. Skipper Nizakat Khan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 52, while opener Zeeshan Ali made 23 and Anshy Rath scored 48.
In reply, Sri Lanka were cruising at 119/3 before a collapse saw them slip to 127/6. Pathum Nissanka led the chase with a fine 68 off 44 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka held their nerves to take the team home with seven balls to spare.
Nissanka, who was named Player of the Match, praised the opposition’s bowling effort. “It was not an easy pitch. Hong Kong bowled well. Happy with the way am batting,” he said.
For Hong Kong, it was their third straight defeat, but captain Yasim Murtaza remained proud of his team’s effort. “To be honest, I am proud of the way the boys stood up today… We dropped a few catches, and that cost us the game,” he said. Murtaza also described playing in the tournament as “a dream come true.”
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