'Why not start the games at 1:30?' - Ravi Shastri on how rains could have least affected the Asia Cup 2023

India and Sri Lanka are all set to lock horns to clinch the coveted Asia Cup 2023 title on September 17 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. However, the rain has delayed the commencement of the match. 

Ravi Shastri, former India head coach, questioned the officials why the games do not start at 1:30 instead of 3:00. If the games had been played early they would have been completed without the reserve day, according to the 61-year-old.

"Why not start the games at 1:30? The games in India start by that time. Had you started at 1-1:30, you would have got in 20-25 overs before the rain arrived. Perhaps all the games would have been completed in the tournament without the reserve day being used. Something to ponder on for the organisers," the former cricketer said on air.

Over the course of the ongoing continental championship, Sri Lanka have established themselves as one of the most formidable sides in the competition. In addition, they have only lost one of their last 15 ODIs, that too against India.

India, on the other hand, lost to Bangladesh in their most recent match, with almost all of their star players choosing to sit out. Notably, India’s star players Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, have made strong comebacks after recovering from respective injuries, while Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli have all been performing magnificently. They are expected to continue their fine form in the summit clash as well.

In the weeks leading up to the championship game, injuries struck both India and Sri Lanka. The Dasun Shanaka-led side are arguably the one to be affected more by it as they have lost the services of frontline spinner Maheesh Theekshana for the remainder of this tournament. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar has been put as backup for India after Axar Patel was ruled out for the final.