Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan have opened up about the brutal travel and back-to-back matches leading into the Asia Cup 2025. Both agreed the schedule is tough, but their responses revealed contrasting mindsets.
Asalanka Feeling the Burn After Non-Stop Cricket
Charith Asalanka arrived in Dubai visibly exhausted after completing a whirlwind stretch of games. The left-hander had just finished back-to-back T20Is in Zimbabwe on September 6 and 7, packed his bags, and endured a long-haul trip via South Africa before heading straight into media duties.
“Right now, I’m feeling very sleepy,” he admitted with a wry smile at the captains’ press conference. “It’s really hard to play back-to-back games and then travel straightaway. We actually need a couple of days off.”
Sri Lanka’s players will be grateful for the rare luxury of four days’ rest before their opening clash against Bangladesh. With Afghanistan and Hong Kong also in the same pool, Asalanka stressed the importance of recovery in what many have labelled the “group of death.”
Rashid Khan Chooses Mental Strength Over Complaints
While Asalanka openly admitted fatigue, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan struck a different tone. His side had just finished a hectic tri-series in Sharjah against Pakistan and UAE before heading into their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s not ideal — that’s what we were discussing before,” Rashid said. “But as professional cricketers, we have to accept these things. Once you enter the ground, you forget everything else.”
Rashid, now the highest wicket-taker in T20I history, emphasized mental toughness as the key. “If you start complaining about travel and back-to-back games, it affects your performance. The focus is to give 100% and adapt.”
Heat and Travel Add Extra Challenge
The demands go beyond just cricket. Players are dealing with:
- Extreme heat — temperatures hovering above 40°C even in the evenings.
- Late finishes due to adjusted match timings.
- Road travel on match days, making recovery even harder.
For teams already stretched thin by international commitments, managing fitness and freshness could be as crucial as game tactics.
Survival and Stamina Could Decide the Group
The Asia Cup’s “group of death” promises high-intensity cricket, but the outcome may depend as much on endurance as skill. Sri Lanka will rely on rest, Afghanistan on resilience, while Hong Kong will hope to exploit any signs of fatigue.
As the tournament begins, one thing is clear: the battle off the field — against travel, exhaustion, and the relentless heat — may shape the destiny of the teams as much as the cricket itself.
