The Asia Cup 2022 came to a close as Sri Lanka won their sixth championship by claiming victory over Pakistan in the final match, which took place in Dubai on Sunday. At the 15th iteration of the continental event, several performances caught the attention of players who are not as well-known, as well as some brilliant performances by the stars that are often featured. Wasim Jaffer and Deep Dasgupta, both of whom played for India in the past, provided their recommendations for the players that stood out the most during the 2022 Asia Cup.
Wasim Jaffer, while speaking with CricTracker, heaped praise on Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the outstanding batting performance he put in for Sri Lanka, which helped the team climb out of a deep hole. According to Jaffer, his partnership with the all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was the factor that made the difference in the game. At the ten-over point of the game, it seemed as if it would be impossible for Sri Lanka to score 103 runs in the remaining ten overs of the contest. Therefore, the former Indian opener praised Sri Lanka for accomplishing this almost impossible feat.
What did Wasim Jaffer say?
“Absolutely, it looked like Sri Lanka were down and out in the first ten overs. From 58/5 to 171 (170) was a great, great effort. Rajapaksa again, you know such a crucial knock at an important stage, got a bit lucky with the LBW call earlier in the innings. But the partnership with Hasaranga after that was the game-changing one. They scored 103 runs in the last ten overs after those early setbacks, which is a commendable job from them,” said Wasim Jaffer.
What did Deep Dasgupta say?
When questioned about the most remarkable player in the competition, former Indian wicketkeeper and current member of the expert panel on CricTracker, Deep Dasgupta, proposed the name of Bhanuka Rajapaksa as a candidate. He estimated that the southpaw came into the game with a reputation for being a dasher, and in his few innings of 20–25 runs, you could see both his skill and potential. However, he is now a match-winner for the Sri Lankan team and has taken on a greater degree of responsibility.
Deep Dasgupta told CricTracker, “One has to be Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and not just today. I’ve always thought he was very talented, but he wasn’t making the most of his starts because he was playing too many shots. You could see the talent in his cameos, but I think he is playing with a bit more responsibility now.”
