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Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka plays down fan-driven rivalry ahead of Asia Cup opener against Bangladesh. The focus remains on basics and execution despite recent losses and heated past encounters.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan and Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka voiced their concerns regarding the Asia Cup 2025's scheduling and logistics. Rashid highlighted the inconvenience of traveling between Dubai and Abu Dhabi for matches. Asalanka expressed fatigue from back-to-back games and emphasized the need for recovery time amidst the extreme heat.

Sri Lanka clinched the ODI series against Zimbabwe with a five-wicket victory in Harare. Pathum Nissanka's brilliant century, scoring 122 runs, and a crucial partnership with Charith Asalanka guided Sri Lanka to chase down Zimbabwe's total of 277-7. Nissanka's outstanding performance throughout the series earned him the player of the series award, marking Sri Lanka's second consecutive ODI series win.

Sri Lanka narrowly defeated Zimbabwe in the first ODI despite a slow over-rate, resulting in a match fee penalty. Dilshan Madushanka's final-over hat-trick secured the seven-run victory after strong batting performances from both sides, including half-centuries from Pathum Nissanka, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu Mendis for Sri Lanka. Sikandar Raza's impressive 92 wasn't enough to get Zimbabwe over the line.