SL VS PAK - Final, Asia Cup 2022

Of all the heartwarming stories in all the heartwarming universes, this Sri Lankan victory takes the cake. For a country grappling with some tough, testing times back home, and for a cricket team that has been very hard to support in the last few years, this is that relief balm. This is that vindication. This is that redemption. This is that underdog story. Also, of all the old time cricketing cliches lurking around in the business since 1877, 'runs on the board in a big final' is probably the only one that still holds good, even in Dubai. On that note, it's time we bring down the curtains, as I, Vineet Anantharaman, sign off on behalf of Nikhil Jadhav, Sagar Chawla, and our scorer, Siva. Until the next edition comes along, hopefully with just as much fun, ta ta!!

There comes the trophy, there come the fireworks, and there come the celebrations. Remember, Sri Lanka were supposed to host this edition of the Asia Cup before domestic turbulence forced them to take it to the UAE. Everything's forgotten tonight, THEY HAVE THE CUP!

Dasun Shanaka | Winning captain: I want to thank the crowd; they have been supporting us massively. Hopefully we made them proud today. In IPL 2021, Chennai won the match batting first and that is what was in my mind. These youngsters know the conditions really well. Wanindu made a huge impact after losing five wickets. Chamika and DDS batted really well too. The last ball six was the turning point. 170 was mentally the difference, as 160 always feels chasable. As a youngster, we knew Madushanka would deliver, and as a captain we had to back him. It can happen to any team in the world. [On the first game against Afghanistan] It happened for a good reason. We had serious discussions after that game. Each and every individual did well for us and that is how we became champions. The fielding improved a lot in the finals. We had some mistakes in the league stages. We were 100% today, credit to the players and the coaching staff. I want to thank the Sri Lankan cricket board and the selectors as well.

Babar Azam | Losing captain: Congratulations to Sri Lanka for playing outstanding cricket. We dominated them for the first eight overs, but the partnership that Rajapaska got was amazing. This was a true wicket and it is always nice playing in Dubai. We didn't bat according to our potential. We started well, but we gave away 15-20 extra runs and couldn't finish well. A lot of positives for us to take. In a final, the margin for mistakes is lesser. Our fielding wasn't up to the mark and the batting couldn't finish it off well. But Rizwan, Naseem and Nawaz were positives. Ups and downs will be there, but it would be nicer if we made lesser mistakes.

Wanindu Hasaranga | MoS: When I went out to bat at 60/5, Bhanuka and me planned to get to 150, which was a good total. I told him that I would play my role and play my shots. In the first few overs, the ball swung, but when I batted, the wicket was really good. I love to bowl in the subcontinent. I look to bowl at the stumps in these conditions and that is why I am successful. I try to bowl tight and bowl dot balls. Our boys did a great job throughout the tournament especially after our loss against Afghanistan.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa | MoM: It was not easy out there. Pakistan were bowling well. When Wanindu came in, we got a plan. We wanted to be positive all through. When Iftikhar was bowling, Wanindu said that he would attack him. But thankfully both of us went hard. I had to change my game because Pakistanis were on top. We wanted to spend some time in the crease and that helped in getting 170. When Chris (Silverwood) came out to talk to us after the 10th over, I told him that 140 was a good score. But we stayed till the end and the target was much different. The last ball six and the last over helped us with the momentum and this is a game of momentum.

Stick around, we'll get you the presentations. The authorities are taking forever to set the stage up, but the Sri Lankan fans in the stands and the Papare band just refuse to get tired. It's their night ..

Dhananjaya de Silva: I wasn't playing in the initial games, but I was practising regularly and ready if given an opportunity. We planned well against all teams and stuck to our plans, executed them well.

Mohammad Rizwan: They played like true champions, they deserve the win. They put us under pressure at key moments and won the match despite losing the toss. We committed mistakes and Sri Lanka took advantage of that. They took the momentum away from us towards the end in both the innings.

Silverwood: He set the tone at the top for us. Great thing is at any given point everybody's put their hands up. Just had to get a method. Had confidence in the talent in the team. Came in with a very young seam attack - seeing them perform has been superb. It's not right to pick one person out - it's been a team effort.

Mendis: Very very happy to get the runs. Me and Pathum got partnerships in last two matches. Were two-three wickets down. Very good partnership in the middle order.

Chamika Karunaratne: We are winning after 7 years, we are a different team. Full of youngsters, feeling very good. We were just going to fight and give it our best. The players were pushing their limits. Everyone tried their best after the loss in the first match (against Afghanistan).

Harsha Bhogle: Well played Sri Lanka. Great attitude, top approach to the game. Deserving champions.

STAT: This is the first instance of Sri Lanka winning five consecutive T20Is since April 2014, the last such sequence included matches from their title winning World Cup campaign in Bangladesh in 2014

Asia Cup titles
7 India
6 Sri Lanka *
2 Pakistan
Sri Lanka Asia Cup wins: 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022

21:56 Local Time, 17:56 GMT, 23:26 IST: To imagine this team were thrashed in their first game by Afghanistan. And to imagine this team will have to qualify for the next T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka cricket were on a slide: starting with the retirement of some big names in 2015, to the constant chopping and changing, to the musical chairs with the captaincy, to getting wiped out even at home. That's it. The slide has officially been arrested. The charge has begun. And it's been done in some style. Oh this means the world to a team that most pundits would have had as their weakest of the five competing nations in this Asia Cup. Much like their campaign, they started off horribly tonight as well, getting reduced to 58/5 with the bat, before leaking nine runs in extras without the first legal delivery of the innings being bowled. But Babar Azam continued his poor run, as did Fakhar Zaman, and the recovery that Rizwan and Iftikhar put up was a little too slow, and a little too long. And when they fell, the cookie crumbled, and Sri Lanka had their tryst with history ..

Karunaratne to Haris Rauf, out Bowled!! Full, straight, dead. Karunaratne goes wild. The Lankans go wild, the fireworks go wild at the stadium. And Haris swings and finds thin air. 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2022 -- they've all been Sri Lanka's. Haris Rauf b Karunaratne 13(9) [4s-1 6s-1]

Karunaratne to Haris Rauf, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Karunaratne to Haris Rauf, SIX, pumped over long-off. Karunaratne pitches it up, and Rauf goes right under it with a full-blooded swing

Karunaratne to Haris Rauf, no run, back of a length, slow, deceiving, so much so that Rauf finishes a heave and a half before the ball comes to him

Karunaratne to Mohammad Hasnain, 1 run, a slower dipping yorker, jammed to long-on