Sri Lanka Preview – 2023 Cricket World Cup

Back In 1996, Sri Lanka made a statement by winning the World Cup. The likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana set a new template of batting during field restrictions. They played a huge role throughout as the Islanders got their hands on the trophy under the leadership of the legendary and evergreen Arjuna Ranatunga.
In 2007, and 2011, Sri Lanka advanced to the final, but lost to Australia and India respectively. The final of the mega event against the Indians was also Muttiah Muralitharan’s last match at the international level. Mahela Jayawardene scored a hundred at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but his knock eventually went in vain.

Four years ago, when the tournament took place in England and Wales, Sri Lanka won only three out of nine matches and crashed out before the semis. This time around, the team, captained by Dasun Shanaka, will be looking to make amends. Sri Lanka’s opening match in the championship is against South Africa on Saturday, October 7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka had to play in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe where they won all their matches. They defeated Netherlands in the final. Recently, Sri Lanka won 13 ODIs in a row, a streak that came to an end when they lost to India in the Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2023 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
However, the 10-wicket defeat to India in the final of the Asia Cup 2023 would have put a huge dent in their confidence. But Sri Lanka have always been a team that has punched above their weights in ICC tournaments. Hence, expectations will be high from them.

Sri Lanka Batters Analysis

Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne have been effective batters in the top order for Sri Lanka. Mendis was in stupendous form in the Asia Cup after he scored 270 runs from six matches at an impressive average of 45. Nissanka also had his fair share of success. Dimuth Karunaratne has a truckload of experience, but he may start in the playing XI to start with barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Sadeera Samarawickrama scored 93 in an Asia Cup Super-Four match against Shakib Al Hasan’s Bangladesh. Dhananjaya de Silva has shown a lot of consistency and his role is going to hold a lot of importance in the middle order.

Charith Asalanka knows how to play the big shots and recently played a crucial knock against Babar Azam’s Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Dasun Shanaka has been a tad out of form in recent times, but one is aware of the damage he can do with the bat in hand while being in full flow.
Dunith Wellalage has been a revelation for Sri Lanka and he adds a lot of depth to their batting unit. He was also the Sri Lankan skipper in the U19 World Cup that took part in the West Indies last year.

Sri Lanka Wicketkeepers Analysis

Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera are two of the options that Sri Lanka can choose from for their wicketkeeping roles. Mendis has been the first-choice keeper for the Sri Lankans. Perera, on the other hand, recently made a comeback to Sri Lanka’s ODI setup after a gap of two years.
Perera also went off retired hurt during Sri Lanka’s first warm-up match against Bangladesh on Friday, September 29 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. In 109 ODIs, Perera has scored 3088 runs at an average of 31.19 with six hundreds and 15 fifties to show for his efforts.

Sri Lanka Bowlers Analysis

Before the start of the World Cup, Sri Lanka were dealt with a blow. Their wicket-taking spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. Hasaranga recently became the leading run-scorer and the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Hasaranga also became the top wicket-taker when Sri Lanka played in the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. In seven matches, he picked up 22 wickets at an average of 12.91 with three five-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. In Hasaranga’s absence, Sri Lanka included Dushan Hemantha in their squad.

The Islanders have Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage as their two prime spin-bowling options. Wellalage hogged the headlines after his impressive performances in the Asia Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka also have Dhananjaya de Silva, who can chip in with handy overs in the middle overs.
Sri Lanka also would not be having the services of Dushmantha Chameera, who has been in and out of the national team due to injuries. The speedster last donned the national colours in the bilateral series against Afghanistan back in June in Hambantota.
Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka and Matheesha Pathirana are the fast bowling options for Sri Lanka in the World Cup. Chameera made his ODI debur earlier this year after he bowled brilliantly for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
Pathirana was also impressive in the Asia Cup 2023 where he dismissed batters with his unorthodox action and clever changes of pace.

Cricket World Cup 2023 – Sri Lanka Predictions and Summary

Sri Lanka is not considered among the favorites to win the World Cup 2023. They have had their fair share of problems with injuries. After the retirement of Muralitharan, Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Kumar Sangakkara and other big names, Sri Lanka have struggled across formats.
Hasaranga and Chameera would have been invaluable assets for Sri Lanka in the mega event. But that would not be the case anymore. But they still have some effective cricketers in their ranks, who can make an impact. It now remains to be seen if Sri Lanka can raise their game and play well in the World Cup.

Full Squad – Sri Lanka
Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha