September 11, 2022—a date to remember for all Sri Lankan cricket fans. When the whole planet was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping for a new dawn, Sri Lanka surprised the whole cricket world by winning the Asia Cup title, defeating Pakistan in the final. 

In 2022, the Asia Cup was arranged in the Twenty20 format, and India was the favorite to win the title. But they crashed out of the tournament before reaching the summit. In the final, on paper, Pakistan had a slight advantage over Sri Lanka. But a quality bowling performance from the island nation dismantled the Babar Azam-led Pakistan cricket team. 

Batting first, Sri Lanka registered 170 runs in 29 overs against 6 wickets. Bhanuka Rajapaksa alone scored an unbeaten 71 runs and was rewarded with the Man of the Match award. Wanindu Hasaranga from the lower middle order contributed with 36 runs. The total was not something outrageous that Pakistan could not claim. Haris Rauf was the best bowler for Pakistan by taking 3 scalps. 

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Sri Lanka outclassed Pakistan to win their sixth Asia Cup title 

The target of 171 proved too much for the second batting team when they faced a batting disaster. Eight Pakistani batters went back to the dugout with single-digit scores; thus, a fighting 55-run knock from the opener Mohammad Rizwan did not do much to save the team from a defeat, a defeat in the final match of the Asia Cup. Iftikhar Ahmed (32) was another one who tried his best but could not convert his momentum into a match-winning effort. Pramod Madushan got 4 wickets, and Wanindu Hasaranga claimed 3 wickets for Sri Lanka. 

After winning the final, the happiest captain on the planet at that moment, Dasun Shanaka, said, "I must thank the crowd; they were supporting us massively. And also to the fans at home, hope we made them proud. These youngsters know conditions and situations very well. After losing five wickets, Hasaranga-Rajapaksa made a difference."