Being underdogs in the tournament helped Sri Lanka to play fearless brand of cricket: Wasim Jaffer

At the Asia Cup this year, the Sri Lankan men outdid themselves. They came a long way in the tournament, and all of the squad members deserve praise. From losing their first game, their campaign opener, to being undefeated thereafter and reaching the summit clash with four back-to-back victories, Sri Lanka were at their prime.

They suffered just one loss on their way to making it into the finals. After losing to Afghanistan early on, they went on to get their revenge in the Super Four stage and handed the Mohammad Nabi-led side an upsetting defeat. Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer spoke about Sri Lanka’s performance this season and was very happy to see them showcase high-class cricket.

“After the first game against Afghanistan, they played brilliant cricket and they peaked at the right time. Also, they were not favorites in the tournament. Being underdogs in the tournament helped Sri Lanka to play a fearless brand of cricket. They did not take any pressure on them,” Wasim Jaffer said while speaking on 'BatBricks7 presents Run Ki Runneeti' show on CricTracker.

Sri Lanka's dominant journey after a sluggish start

Speaking of Sri Lanka’s performances this season at the Asia Cup, their start was not up to the mark. They lost the first game to Afghanistan miserably, raising questions about the players’ form and seriousness in the tournament. But they shut all the trolls and critics by putting up a brilliant show against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka clinched a final-over thriller against Bangladesh to knock them out of the tournament and make their way into the Super Four. They faced Afghanistan again in the Super Four and gave a befitting reply to the previous loss. Even that game was a nail-biting thriller where the islanders bagged a close win in the final over.

They showed dominant performances against India and Pakistan moving further in the tournament and remained unbeaten throughout the Super Four stage, bagging a victory in all their three fixtures. Being in the finals against Pakistan, something similar will be expected from both the batters and the bowlers.