Duleep Mendis was Sri Lanka’s manager when they won the ODI World Cup in 1996. Before the competition, though, few had given that Arjuna Ranatunga-led side any chance of lifting the Cup. But Mendis had full faith.

“Being the manager of that team, I was asked by many as to who would win the World Cup. I had confidently said, ‘Sri Lanka.’

“Many had laughed it off. But I knew what that side was capable of. And then, we all know what transpired,” the former Sri Lanka captain, currently head coach of Oman — one of the participants of this Asia Cup — told The Telegraph from Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka’s overall success in the Asia Cup is enviable. Compared to India’s eight, the islanders have triumphed six times in the competition.

Lately, their success in international cricket has been far and few between. They won the continental showpiece in 2022, but it was more like a flash in the pan. Even Zimbabwe made Sri Lanka stretch in the latter’s 2-1 victory in the T20I series, which ended in Harare on Sunday.

The current squad, captained by Charith Asalanka, does comprise effective spinners like Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, all of whom can trouble the opposition. However, the man who could engineer Sri Lanka’s turnaround is head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, believes Mendis.

“Sanath is best in the trade. He knows what he’s doing, so the players too can’t get a better person to be guided,” the 73-year-old ex-chief selector of SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket), who played 24 Tests and 79 ODIs, emphasised.

Mendis obviously knows much more than just a thing or two about Jayasuriya, who himself has acknowledged the former’s role in influencing his career. In his interim role as head coach before bagging the full-time job last October, Jayasuriya’s presence was crucial in supervising Sri Lanka’s bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years.

For someone who knows the intricacies of Sri Lankan cricket so well, Jayasuriya will once again play a key role in motivating the spinners in particular, in this Asia Cup, especially against India, who they could face in the Super Four stage.

“Sanath’s profound knowledge is always a huge advantage for his team. Besides, he’s a great motivator and knows how to bring the best out of the players. Sri Lanka couldn’t have asked for a better guide,” Mendis said.

Talking about India’s dominance in the continent, Mendis said: “If a country has a good side, it will perform. How can anyone else blame that country if it’s performing?

“The West Indies dominated in the 70s and 80s, Australia in the 2000s and now
India, so it’s kind of a cycle,” Mendis said.