Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka's fairytale triumph could act as a healing balm to crisis-stricken people back home

It was only fitting for one of the most exciting multi-nation tournaments in recent memory that the team that was comprehensively outplayed in its very first game would finish as the victors in the final.

The last two weeks witnessed the Sri Lankan team, which had been competitive in recent fixtures but still weren’t counted among the title favourites, begin their campaign with a resounding eight-wicket loss at the hands of a spirited Afghanistan side. And after losing their fourth wicket for just 77 runs while chasing a steep 183 to win in the subsequent Group B clash against Bangladesh, the Sri Lankan board would’ve begun booking their return tickets to Colombo.

Read: From underdogs to champions, what worked for Sri Lanka

Wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis though, had other plans and together with the rest of the middle and lower order, marked the beginning of what was to be one of the most triumphant comebacks the game has witnessed in a long time.

This one is for you Sri Lanka!. Thank you for your endless love and support. ❤❤ https://t.co/BWF3ooO7gq

— Bhanuka Rajapaksa (@BhanukaRajapak3) September 11, 2022

Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by two wickets in a nail-biter and would just not look back since then, collecting a hat-trick of wins in the Super 4 stage before dishing out a clinical performance in the final against Pakistan to win their first major multi-nation tournament in eight years.

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In an interview with IBN7 during the launch of his autobiography Controversially Yours, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was quizzed about the 2011 World Cup semi-final against India in Mohali by anchor Ashutosh. “Hume zyada zaroorat thi (We needed it more)” Akhtar said in the interview, emphasising on how Pakistan needed the victory more badly than India in that iconic game in front of a sold out PCA Stadium.

And the reason he offered for his analysis was the dire situation back home — breakdown in governance, dealing with the effects of terrorism, corruption, among a host of other factors. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ felt a victory would’ve united a nation in a state of crisis like no other.

Sport after all, does act as a great unifier, helping bring people from across cultures, faiths and geographical divides closer. Even in the worst of times, people do look up to sport as an escape from their harsh reality.

More than a decade since that interview, which took place shortly after his retirement from the sport, Akhtar’s words ring true, albeit for a different team. Ironically, it was Pakistan that ended up unintentionally providing that healing touch to the Sri Lankan team through a series of dropped catches, some wayward bowling in the death overs and their slow approach with the bat in the summit clash in Dubai on Sunday.

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It’s not just in the world of cricket where Sri Lanka had been lagging; the country has been going an prolonged economic and political crisis for months now, arguably among the worst the world has seen in years. From the nation running out on fuel, power and other essential supplies and barely having enough funds to keep its population on their feet to angry citizens storming the Presidential palace and forcing a comprehensive change in the government, life sure has been quite grim for the average Sri Lankan.

Former cricketers such as Roshan Mahanama too have had to step in to help the needy and was seen selling tea and buns in the streets of Colombo while others such as Sanath Jayasuriya joined protests against ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. And things eventually got so dire in the island nation that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) were forced to stage the tournament in the cricketing haven that is the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Major economic crisis. Soaring Inflation. Tax Hikes. Mountain of Debt. Mass Protests. The last 2 yrs have been horrendous for #SriLanka who couldn’t even host the #AsiaCup but they’ve won it in style and hopefully just for a fleeting moment or two the island nation will smile