Lankans turn the corner in scorching heat

When Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana came out to open the innings for Sri Lanka in that 1996 World Cup, they changed how cricket was going to be played. The first 15 overs became more important simply because Sri Lanka were doing better than others and the rest had some catching up to do.

That was in the ODI format but the nation later made their mark on T20Is too despite there being a divide in terms of the quality cricketers coming through. Yet, their performances in the ongoing Asia Cup and the brand of cricket Sri Lanka have displayed has been fearless.

The Islanders came into the tournaments as underdogs yet to show T20 mettle. But in the heat of Dubai, Sri Lanka turned a corner and how, picking up three consecutive wins after suffering an eight-wicket defeat to Afghanistan to open the tournament.

The likes of Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa had shown their T20 intent in Bangladesh's domestic franchise league BPL, but their names were not on the list of must-get players in tournaments such as the IPL.

The Lankans had their glory days in international T20s between 2009 and 2014, when under Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara's leadership, the side made three T20 World Cup finals before eventually winning the title in 2014 in Mirpur.

Top-order hitters such as Tillakaratne Dilshan backed by class of Sangakkara and Jayawardene before the likes of Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera provided depth in the death overs saw Sri Lanka dominate. Then the likes of Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath could show their skills in pace and spin departments respectively.

However, their national team struggled greatly in T20Is since those glory days. There was evidence of talent but not enough opportunity to hone it by playing in franchise leagues like the IPL.

All that would change when the Lankan Premier League (LPL) began in 2020. More opportunities would lead to better performers coming through.

Their fearless approach in the Asia Cup was seen in the Super Four stage against Afghanistan, when they did not let up their hitting tactics despite losing wickets. They did the same against Bangladesh and India too.

Batting second provides an edge in this tournament, but Bhanuka made it clear that they had a particular philosophy in T20s that they were focused on. None of the batters scored more than in the high-30s, but everyone contributed with stroke-playing. It was a new brand.

"A couple of guys might come and get out, but even after that I think the captain, selectors, coaches and team management keep backing players and that's a very positive sign. It will help Sri Lanka cricket rebuild. A couple of decades back, we had a brand and we would like to rebuild that brand again," Bhanuka said at the press conference on Wednesday.

The nation has has recently also endured an economic crisis. Despite initially being named hosts for the Asia Cup, the tournament could not be played in Sri Lanka due to the crisis. But Sri Lanka are standing up and being counted, finding themselves in pole position to make it through to the final after some tremendous matches.

Against India in a nervy match, they also showed they could tick under pressure.

"We have a record of chasing and winning games," Bhanuka said after the win against India. The confidence was there and if they tick the right boxes, Sri Lanka might just make a major statement in the final.