Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka on Friday said victory in the Asia Cup would lift the spirits of fans in the cricket-crazy island nation as it struggles through its worst economic crisis.

When it comes to tales of the Asia Cup, Bangladesh are the team that have always been so close, yet so far, reaching the final of the tournament three times but failing to lift the trophy even once.

The cricket fanatics can brace themselves for some exhilarating T20 contests over the next 16 days as the 15th edition of the Asia Cup is set to begin today with the game between hosts Sri Lanka and Afghanistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr. has been ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a side strain, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Friday.

The Bangladesh team have played three finals in the last four editions of the Asia Cup. This time the Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan hopes for a new champion outside of India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh’s newly-appointed technical consultant Sridharan Sriram will also be in charge of the side for the Asia Cup with head coach Russell Domingo excluded from T20 plans and instructed to focus on ODI and Tests by the BCB. The new coach said that his biggest strength would be that he will be starting ‘fresh’ and without the baggage of Bangladesh’s poor run of performances in T20s and also his own frustrations from playing days.

Bangladesh practiced at ICC Academy in Dubai yesterday, hoping to get a good feel of their new way of doing things under newly-appointed technical consultant Sridharan Sriram and acclimatising to the conditions in the UAE.

The Asia Cup is just a day away from making the much-awaited comeback after a four-year interval -- the longest since the 2008 edition -- with some of the world’s top teams prepared to lock horns in the United Arab Emirates, where its maiden edition commenced in 1983.

Rashid Khan was named ICC’s T20I Player of the decade in 2020 and it is a testament to how he has carried forward the art of leg-spin in the modern era.

The Daily Star (DS): You were part of Bangladesh’s maiden Asia Cup campaign in 1986. Can you share your experience?

Bangladesh appear to be the fifth-best among the top five teams heading into the Asia Cup tournament.

“They won everything except the Cup! Beware world, Bangladesh is the new terror!” The great Brian Lara had thusly cautioned the world through Facebook after Bangladesh’s agonising two-run defeat against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup final.

A match between traditional rivals India and Pakistan always evokes raw emotion, adrenaline and pride.

The Asia Cup is set to begin on August 27 in the UAE. 

India's Virat Kohli has the chance to find form before the World Cup while Babar Azam will look to keep Pakistan's psychological edge when the rival countries clash as the headline acts of the Asia Cup starting this weekend.

Hong Kong reached the Asia Cup on Wednesday where they will face India and Pakistan after defeating the United Arab Emirates by eight wickets in the final qualifying round.

Despite abysmal recent form, turmoil in the leadership and the fact that Bangladesh need to 'start taking baby steps in T20s' as skipper Shakib Al Hasan admitted, the Tigers are still one of the contenders going into the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE.

With the 2022 Asia Cup fast approaching, Shane Watson has made some big calls in the latest episode of The ICC Review, including making his pick for the overall winner, declaring why Virat Kohli is primed to return to form and pondering whether Pakistan can get one over India again.

VVS Laxman will take over as India's interim coach for the Asia Cup after head coach Rahul Dravid tested positive for COVID-19, the country's cricket board (BCCI) said on Wednesday.

The spat began around March 06, the time of the final of the 2016 Asia Cup between India and Bangladesh. India was favoured to beat the smaller country, but the Bangladesh Tigers have been playing well recently, and were hoping for an upset.