‘It’s a rivalry for fans’: Asalanka ahead of Bangladesh clash

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka played down talk of a cricketing rivalry with Bangladesh ahead of their Group B opener in the Asia Cup T20, scheduled for Saturday.

Asalanka suggested the so-called rivalry is more of a fan-driven narrative than a factor influencing players.

"It's actually a rivalry for fans. For us as players, it's a good, challenging competition. We just want to give a good game to Bangladesh and also to the other nations," the skipper said at the pre-match press conference.

When asked whether the fan-driven hype could serve as motivation, Asalanka acknowledged it might have some influence but insisted the team would stick to their fundamentals.

"I think a little bit yes, but at the same time, it's just a game for us. We just follow our basics and our plans," he said.

Bangladesh head into the fixture with momentum, having beaten Hong Kong by seven wickets in their tournament opener and also securing a 2-1 T20I series win in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Acknowledging Bangladesh's form, Asalanka said his side would focus on execution rather than past results.

"I think they have been playing well for a long time. We don't look too much at that side. We only look at how we execute our plans against their individual players. We hope to make plans and carry them out. We don't worry too much about past matches or results," he added.