Under-fire Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka is likely to step down from the position in the aftermath of the Asia Cup debacle, reports say.
India, led by pacer Mohammed Siraj who took 6/21, blew away the Lankans for a paltry 50 runs in just 15.2 overs in the final on September 17 in Colombo. Shanaka, who has been out of form with both the bat and the ball, was castled for a duck by Siraj.
It was Sri Lanka's final ODI outing before the ICC ODI World Cup in India starting next month.
The reports of Shanaka's resignation gathered steam after commentator Harsha Bhogle posted about it on X (formerly Twitter).
Reports that Dasun Shanaka is likely to step down as Sri Lanka's captain. I hope he wasn't pushed. He is a good man and a fine leader but it is always tricky when the captain isn't pulling his weight.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 20, 2023
In the post-match presentation after the humiliating 10-wicket loss, Shanaka had apologised to the fans for having let them down in the final.
"Without five main players, the good thing is we came to the final playing good sides. It's a good sign from where we began two years ago. At last, I would like to thank the fans who came in numbers. Really sorry that we disappointed you....”
Reports say that Sri Lanka Cricket will make an official announcement ahead of the team’s departure to India for the World Cup.
The 32-year-old right-handed batter scored just 54 runs in six innings in the Asia Cup 2023, with an average of 10.80 and a strike rate of 65.85. He has scored 489 runs in 33 matches at an average of 19.56 since 2022.
But, he led the team admirably well, especially after the departure of veterans. Under his tenure, Sri Lanka registered 13 consecutive ODI wins, including the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis and all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga have, reportedly, emerged as the front-runners for the skipper's role.
