With the Asia Cup 2025 being scheduled to commence from 9th September, Dasun Shanaka is definitely going to be a Sri Lanka squad member. The Asia Cup will be the third prestigious tournament for Shanaka representing Sri Lanka at this level. The Asia Cup would also act as preparation going into the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.
Dasun Shanaka Highest Score in Asia Cup
| Player | Year | Balls | Runs | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dasun Shanaka | 2022 | 33 | 45 | 3 | 2 |
Dasun Shanaka’s best Asia Cup performance was against Bangladesh in the 2022 edition held in Dubai. Chasing a challenging target of 184, Sri Lanka found themselves in trouble at 67/5, with Shanaka playing a captain’s knock to resurrect the game. He scored 45 runs off 33 balls, laced with 3 fours and 2 maximums, meant to represent a very decent strike of 136.36.
His vital knock took Sri Lanka to 184/8 in 19.2 overs and stitched a nail-biting win with his team four balls to spare. This victory-ensuring display gave Sri Lanka a major impetus in the Asia Cup 2022 campaign and later see them bag the title under his captaincy.
Shanaka’s experience as a captain and middle-order batsman shall once again be banked upon by the Sri Lankans. In this article, we talk about the batting records and stats of Dasun Shanaka in the Asia Cup.
Dasun Shanaka T20 Stats
| Player | Mat | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s/100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dasun Shanaka | 108 | 98 | 1530 | 19.87 | 121.72 | 5/0 |
In T20 Cricket, Dasun Shanaka is considered the ultimate finisher. He usually bats down the order, entering in pressure situations. Until now, he has played 108 matches in the T20 format and amassed 1530 runs at a strike rate of 121.72. He has 5 half-centuries and is well-known for those rapid cameos that turn games around.
Shanaka is a regular in the ODI arena, too, where he has strung together 2000 runs as an all-rounder. For Sri Lanka, the very presence of his all-round ability is a huge asset in limited-overs cricket.
The year(s) 2021–2022 placed Shanaka amongst the elite power hitters in T20s. His power-hitting prowess and able captaincy gave Sri Lanka the title at the Asia Cup 2022. This was an achievement that advanced him to the ranks of important modern leaders for Sri Lanka.
Dasun Shanaka Stats in Asia Cup
| Year | Innings | Runs | Average | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Asia Cup | 4 | 20 | 5.00 | 0/0 |
| 2018 Asia Cup | 2 | 7 | 3.50 | 0/0 |
| 2022 Asia Cup | 6 | 111 | 22.20 | 0/0 |
| 2023 Asia Cup | 6 | 54 | 10.80 | 0/0 |
Dasun Shanaka’s prime came in the Asia Cup for him in the year 2022, where he scored a total of 111 runs in 06 innings at an average of 22.20. His match-winning knock of 45 off 33 balls against Bangladesh ensured that Sri Lanka won the title.
In the ONE-DAY FORMAT of Asia Cup 2023, Shanaka was able to score a mere 54 runs in 6 innings with an average of just 10.80. He never once really delivered a massive innings but clung on to his role as a middle-order batsman and did contribute a bit with his leadership and bowling spells.
Earlier on, he had done very little in the 2016 and 2018 editions, scoring 20 and 7 runs, respectively.
All in all, Shanaka’s Asia Cup tenure has been one to spotlight his very important 2022 campaign wherein his clutch batting etched a place for himself in Sri Lanka’s success.
Asia Cup 2025 Teams and Squads
Sri Lanka team: Charith Asalanka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Vishen Halambage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana.
