'Our heart was in our mouths...': Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka reacts to thrilling victory over Hong Kong in Asia Cup

Though Sri Lanka looked to be in a tough spot at one stage in their Asia Cup clash against Hong Kong, they eventually pulled through and recorded a 4-wicket victory. This was the Lankan Lions' second consecutive victory in the tournament and it sees them stand on the verge of qualifying for the Super 4 stage.

Sri Lanka looked to be in cruise control at one stage during the match as they only required 32 runs from 30 deliveries and had eight wickets in hand. However, they ended up suffering a mini collapse and lost four wickets for just eight runs. It looked as if Hong Kong may have the chance to do the unthinkable and defeat the Charith Asalanka-led side, however an impactful cameo of 20 runs from Wanindu Hasaranga led the team to a four-wicket victory.

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Following the match, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka reamrked that 'their hearts were in their mouths'. He also was critical of the side's batting during the match and gave credit to Hong Kong for taking the game down to the wire.

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"In that moment, I think our heart was in our mouths. There are a few areas I am really disappointed about. First three overs when we were bowling and then the 16th over, we lost a couple of wickets and then lost my wicket. In the shorter format, these things can happen but it cannot keep happening consistently. We have to analyse it and improve ourselves," Asalanka said after the match.

"We felt confident of chasing it because the pitch was looking good. Credit goes to them (Hong Kong), they batted really well and we bowled badly in the first three overs. This is not the way we wanted to play. When we are playing these sides, there is always pressure. But we are professionals and as professionals, we have to do much better than this," he added.

Nissanka's knock was crucial for Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, Pathum Nissanka was the star of the show when it comes to Sri Lanka's batting as he played a highly important knock of 68 runs. His inning undoubtedly played a key role in the Lankan Lions avoiding an upset and that is why he was also adjudged as the Player of the Match. On the other hand, their next fixture in the tournament will be against Afghanistan and will be contested on September 18.