‘This Team Can Go Very Far’: Jayasuriya Reflects on Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup Campaign After Another Narrow Loss to India
Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya expressed a mix of disappointment and optimism following his team’s heart-breaking loss to India in the Asia Cup Super Fours clash in Dubai — a result that ended their hopes of making the final after going winless in the Super Fours.
In a match eerily reminiscent of their collapse against India in Pallekele last year, Sri Lanka once again faltered in the final over despite being in a winning position. Chasing a challenging 203, the team needed just 12 runs from the final over with six wickets in hand and centurion Pathum Nissanka well set at the crease. But Nissanka fell on the first ball, and the chase unraveled, culminating in a tied match and another failed Super Over attempt.
On that last ball of the 20th over, with three needed to win, captain Dasun Shanaka attempted a desperate third run after completing two. Believing the throw would come to his end, Shanaka dived full-stretch — unaware that Kuldeep Yadav had misfielded, offering a window for the winning run. Sri Lanka settled for a tie, only to falter in the Super Over once again.
“I would've preferred to finish games in normal time,” said Jayasuriya in the post-match press conference. “No captain or coach wants to go to a Super Over. Unfortunately, Dasun missed completing the third run. But no, there's no mental block against India.”
Jayasuriya praised his team's fighting spirit, especially highlighting the effort from opener Pathum Nissanka, whose sublime 107 off 58 balls nearly took Sri Lanka home. The coach also revealed that Nissanka was playing through groin and hamstring niggles — an effort that underlined his commitment.
“Chasing 203 is never easy, but we almost did it, which shows the quality we have,” Jayasuriya said. “Pathum gave 100% despite his injury. His partnership with Kusal (Perera) was crucial — they took calculated risks and executed them beautifully.”
Nissanka and Perera put on a stunning 127-run stand off just 70 balls for the second wicket. Perera’s brisk 58 off 32 laid the foundation, but his dismissal came just when Sri Lanka needed stability in the middle overs. Jayasuriya lamented the timing of both dismissals, which handed momentum back to India.
Sri Lanka’s Super Four Struggles
Despite going unbeaten through a challenging group stage — defeating Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong in what was dubbed the "group of death" — Sri Lanka couldn’t carry the momentum forward. They lost all three games in the Super Fours: to Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.
“The disappointment was the Bangladesh match,” said Jayasuriya. “We posted 168, which was a good total on that pitch, but didn’t bowl well enough to defend it. Against Pakistan, we were too slow to read the conditions in Abu Dhabi.”
Jayasuriya admitted the team’s biggest issue was their failure to adapt quickly enough to changing pitch conditions — a recurring theme throughout the Super Fours.
“In T20 cricket, assessing conditions quickly is everything. Abu Dhabi started with pace and bounce, but then slowed down, and we didn’t adapt fast enough,” he said.
Eyes on the T20 World Cup
Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup in February 2026, Jayasuriya believes Sri Lanka has the talent to compete with the best, provided they execute consistently.
“Apart from that Bangladesh game, I'm fairly satisfied with our overall effort,” he said. “Of course, we’re disappointed not to make the final, but this team can go very far. We have the quality — in both batting and bowling. Now it's about executing our plans according to conditions and opposition.”
With players like Nissanka stepping up under pressure, and the batting unit showing signs of maturity, Sri Lanka will hope the heartbreaks of Dubai can be transformed into motivation on the global stage.