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The Asia Cup 2022 champions, the Sri Lankan cricket team received a hero's welcome upon arriving in Colombo after winning the glittering trophy. Thousands of fans thronged the streets in order to catch a glimpse of their heroes and revel in the achievement.
The Sri Lankan players were greeted with garlands, dhols and drums at the airport and once the parade began, Colombo wore a look of a festive carnival. The parade was carried on an open double-decker bus as Sri Lankan players flaunted the Asia Cup trophy to acknowledge the love of their fans.
Watch the video and pictures here:
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the Asia Cup final to clinch their sixth continental trophy. The Lankan Lions' win came at a time when the country is undergoing one of its toughest phases, battling political and economical turmoil.
An elated captain, Dasun Shanaka, praised his teammates for responding so well throughout the tournament despite losing to Afghanistan in their tournament opener.
"After that first loss, we had a serious discussion." Shanaka had said during the post-match press conference after winning the final.
"We knew we had the talent, but it was about applying those in game scenarios and all the players stood up. It's the environment we created as a team and coaching staff that has paid off," he continued.
The Sri Lankan skipper also had a message for the fans back home following the title win.
"Believe in our cricketers. A lot of bad things are going around. As cricketers, they too should enjoy their lives as well, not spreading bad things. They have private lives too. Keep believing, that is the key. As a captain, I give confidence to the players, (whatever) I can. I can't ask more than that," Shanaka said.
Shanaka further said that the Asia Cup win could be a stepping stone for greater things to come for Sri Lanka cricket, which is going through a transition phase for a long time.
"Even two-three years back, the team used to play good cricket, but the winning factor wasn't there," he said.
"This could be the turnaround in our cricket, this lot can continue to play for five-six years, which is a very good sign as well.
"The World Cup qualifiers will also help because it will allow us to play in that conditions before the main tournament happens. It will be really good (opportunity for us)," he added.
With a morale-boosting Asia Cup silverware now in their kitty, Shanaka said the same unit can achieve greater success in future.
"It's not like that. When it comes to India-Pakistan, we know it's a different game. Our cricketing history is also good, so we didn't have anything to prove about us being a good team," he said.
"The only thing is we weren't probably ranked high enough, but with this team, we can do better and become that high-ranking team," Shanaka signed off with a smile.
