Asia Cup 2022: The 4-Key takeaway from the Final

There were a lot of pre-notions related to every factor, from the pitch to the toss and even the squad. But Asia got their most deserving team as the winner.

Here are the five key takeaway from the Asia Cup finals that makes total sense.

An excellent stable team is a better recipe for winning than having a few power-hitters

Sri Lanka doesn't have any name that can be termed a brutal power hitter. They played as a unit and weren't dependent on individual performances in the bowling and batting departments to win games. 

However, Pakistan looked dependent on Mohammad Rizwan during the chase. Whatever their match, Mohammad Rizwan has been the only scorer. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman have been out of form the entire series, and they have depended on power hitters like Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Khushdil Shah to play their chances.

"No need to have world class players, when you have 11 brothers", said Maheesh Theekshana.

Sri Lankan Skipper Dasun Shanaka said, "Each and every individual did well for us, and that is how we became champions."

Sri Lanka also has never lost to Pakistan in T20I since 2018, irrespective of any squad factor.

Toss and Pitch conditions go hand in hand

UAE has shown the world the importance of tossing at their grounds. The pitch has something for both the innings, but the toss has been the significant hero in the limelight. In this Asia Cup, the toss was also considered one of the deciding factors of victory.

Only four games were in the Asia Cup when the chasing team lost. Hong Kong lost twice; once, Afghanistan lost when Virat Kohli smashed his 71st Century, and Pakistan lost against Sri Lanka in the final. 

The pattern of winning the toss was so highlighted that the offering from the pitch for spinners was ignored, and that's where Sri Lankan spinners dominated in the final after they lost the toss and had to defend the total.

Mohammad Rizwan said, "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."

Catches win matches

Pakistan and their catch drop have always been the most important topic and a big reason for them to lose the game. They failed to avoid this in high-stakes games, and the final was no different.

"Catches win matches. Sorry, I take responsibility for this loss. I let my team down.", said Shadab Khan on Twitter.

Sri Lanka played like they were ready to do anything in the field and were highly exceptional. If you dropped a catch in games with such stakes, you probably dropped the cup.

Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam said, "In a final, the margin for mistakes is lesser. Our fielding wasn't up to the mark."

IPL experience matters a lot

UAE has hosted both the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League. The players in both teams also had the experience of playing in UAE, but what became a difference was the IPL stars shining bright in the final.

The competition around the best cricketing talent in IPL trains players with a different mindset. 

"Remember Sri Lanka didn't want to pick Rajapaksa...." said Harsha Bhogle.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa was not even the first choice for Sri Lanka. After his IPL performance, he was selected, and he was the one who took Sri Lanka to a respectable total and Wanindu Hasaranga's three-wicket in one over finished the hope for Pakistan's victory.