Suryakumar Yadav of Team India covered his face and laughed when Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka cracked a joke during the Asia Cup 2025 press conference. Asalanka, feeling drowsy after traveling from Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a three-game T20I series, appeared in a video that circulated widely on social media.
On September 7, the Lankans played their third T20I of the series before flying to the UAE for the Asia Cup. However, they get some time off to recuperate, as Asalanka and his teammates will start their campaign on September 13 at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Asalanka was then questioned by the reporter:
“You’ve travelled countries. You’ve just come in from Zimbabwe. Tell us about how you guys are feeling as a group, having to hit the ground running immediately in this humidity.”
Charith Asalanka responded by chuckling:
“Right now, I feel very sleepy.”
📸:💚🇵🇰
Charith Asalanka:"I FEEL SLEEPY 😅"#AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/RJsnMfoOZD
— 𝐅𝐚𝐧❥𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐳𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬🏏 (@Bobi_1A) September 9, 2025Zimbabwe denied Sri Lanka a series victory after two matches by winning the second T20I by five wickets, forcing a decider. However, the tourists bounced back, achieving an eight-wicket victory to claim the series.
Charith Asalanka highlights why fitness matters in modern cricket
Charith Asalanka acknowledged the team’s weariness, explaining that their busy travel schedule had taken a toll. He also expressed hope that their coach would grant them two days off. During the news conference, he told NDTV:
“No, I mean it’s really hard to play back-to-back games in Zimbabwe on September 6 and 7. And then travel here (Dubai) straightaway. I think actually we need to have a couple of days off. I hope the coach will give us. It’s important to take care of our fitness. And we all know that it’s really hot out there. And for me, it’s really important to keep fresh and give 100 per cent in the first game.”
Charith Asalanka
In the previous Asia Cup T20 in 2022, Sri Lanka won the championship.
