• Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka says winning the Asia Cup.
• Would lift the spirits of fans in the island nation as it battles.
• Through its most horrendously awful financial emergency.

Dasun Shanaka expressed playing at home would have been a clear benefit yet added that there are no top choices in the T20 format.

“Hosting this tournament in Sri Lanka would have favoured us more because the crowd support is there and playing in home conditions has a bigger advantage,” he said.

“When it comes to the favourites, India is a leading side at the moment but in T20 there are no favourites. On a day if we play good cricket, we can be the favourites as well.”

The six-country Twenty20 competition will start in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in the wake of being moved from Sri Lanka on account of political agitation.

Sri Lanka will take on Afghanistan in the competition opener, which will act as a check up for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October and November.

“Cricket always brings a different kind of vibe to Sri Lankan people, winning is the most thrilling thing,” Shanaka told reporters. “So we look forward to delivering for our country.”

Sri Lanka has been hit as of late by food and fuel deficiencies alongside power outages, however delighted in outcome in a home series in June when they beat Australia in one-day internationals.

They additionally attracted level Tests with Australia and Pakistan.

Sri Lanka might play spoilers to an anticipated India-Pakistan conflict in the last of the competition.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga stayed key for the side in the white-ball series against Australia at home and Shanaka said the group would depend on the all-rounder in the UAE.

“Our main spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will definitely play a major role in this tour for us,” said Shanaka.

“We have played some good series in the last two-three months. What I trust the most is the process, so we are on the right track and hopefully we can clean the series here as well.”

Afghanistan, who come straight from their white-ball clear of Zimbabwe, have consistently run group’s hard in global contests and made a couple of upsets too yet captain Mohammad Nabi needs additional consistency from his group.

“We have run out of steam in close games and this is what we thought about before coming here and God willing will try not to repeat our mistakes,” said Nabi.

“We came a week earlier for the Asia Cup to acclimatise and we will have a better tournament this time and try and move in the Super 4 stage.”

Nabi demanded his group isn’t just around a couple of geniuses like Rashid Khan yet is rather an all-performing unit.

Bangladesh is the third group in Group B. India, Pakistan and Hong Kong are clubbed in Group A.

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