Asia Cup 2018: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Match 3 - Sri Lanka Predicted XI

Sri Lanka’s cricket is currently undergoing a tough phase. With many of the legends retiring in the recent past, they haven’t been able to find the apt replacements. Furthermore, the injury woes keep troubling the team more often than not. As a result, their side looks really weakened at the moment and it was quite evident in their first match against Bangladesh. They were thrashed in the encounter by the Tigers and lost the game by 137 runs thanks to the hapless batting effort.

However, all the eyes are now on the match against Afghanistan which the Lankans would be playing on Monday. This is going to be a cracker-jack of a game as Afghanistan is taking giant strides in international cricket and will look to give quite a tough competition to the team from the island nation. For Sri Lanka, they will have to regroup, believe in themselves and give their best on the field to stay alive in the competition.

Here we bring you Sri Lanka’s Predicted XI

Openers (Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis)

The Sri Lankan openers are experienced campaigners. In fact, with 229 ODIs under his belt, Upul Tharanga is the most experienced player in the side. Tharanga looked to be in fine touch for his 16-ball 27 in the first match. His innings also included 4 fours and a six. He is definitely going to be critical for Sri Lanka in this tournament but will have to be careful with his shot selection. The left-hander should cut down on his aggressive stint and play more responsibly.

On the other hand, the selectors have persisted with Mendis for a while now and it is high time that he repays their faith with some better outings and consistency. Kusal Mendis has also played 50 matches already now and is yet to stamp his authority despite brimming with the talent. He was dismissed for a golden duck against Bangladesh and should make amends in this must-win game.

Middle Order (Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews(c))

Kusal Perera is known for his aggressive style of play. But this style of play has let him down on many occasions. Just like Mendis, he has been persisted with for a very long time now. He has got all the shots in the book and can take the attack to the bowlers. However, his shot selection wasn’t that great in the game against Bangladesh. Alike Tharanga, he has got to be more watchful of the ball, at least in the initial stages of his innings.

With 202 ODIs under his belt, the 31-year-old Angelo Mathews is one of the pillars for the team in the middle-order. He could be eyeing at a possibility of batting at number four against Afghanistan as he plays spin really well. It will be very important for the skipper to sustain out there in the middle against the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman if Sri Lanka are to stand a chance to win the game.

Wicket-keeper (Niroshan Dickwella)

Niroshan Dickwella is expected to come into the side in place of Dasun Shanaka. For all the talent and the skill that he possesses, Shanaka hasn’t been able to deliver either with the bat or the ball. He just bowled three overs and was run out after an extended struggle with the willow against Bangladesh.

Dickwella is equally capable of taking the attack to the bowlers and having an extra left-hander in the middle-order will be a great advantage. With him donning the gloves, Kusal Perera will be relieved of the extra burden and should provide him with an opportunity to play more freely.

All-rounders (Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera)

Although he was dismissed for a duck the other day, Dhananjaya de Silva is quite capable with the bat. He can rotate the strike well in the middle overs and would bat at the number four or five. Apart from his batting, he can roll his arm over and strike more often than not. This finds him having an edge over the other players in the team selection. He picked a couple of crucial wickets against Bangladesh and showed his prowess.

Only Thisara Perera can justify his place in the side. He has been in exceptional form this year. On any given day, he has the ability to turn the game in his team’s favour. Rather than trying to spend some time in the middle and build a partnership, Perera played a witless slog-sweep to battle his way out and the same approach proved to be his undoing. He must understand his role in the side and should try to show some maturity with the bat in case Sri Lanka collapses again.

Bowlers (Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Amila Aponso, Lasith Malinga)

The Sri Lankan batsmen should probably pull a leaf out of Dilruwan Perera and Suranga Lakmal’s batting innings in the game against Bangladesh. They showed some great patience and batted much better than the top order. The latter was more clinical with the ball and picked up one wicket. Although Perera was very expensive and bowled just three overs, he is expected to get another go in the side.

Lasith Malinga was the biggest positive for Sri Lanka in the tournament opener. The fans reminisced the Malinga of old watching him bowl. He was bang on target right in the first over and picked up two wickets. He picked another two scalps later in the innings for taking his tally of wickets to four. Amila Aponso went just above six runs per over and picked one wicket and should continue to play with Akila Dananjaya still not available.

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