The Asian champions didn't get a warm welcome from Namibia. The big margin defeat opened their eyes and Srilanka finally qualified for Super 12 bamboolzing UAE and fighting and sweating it hard against Netherlands and they are ready now to face some solid teams from Group 1. They will face the defending champions Australia, the World cup favorites England, the dark horse New Zealand and Afghanistan, the team who defeated Srilanka in the Asia cup.
After playing Qualifiers, for Srilanka, the ace bowler Dushmantha Chameera injured himself during a match against UAE, while Pramod Madushan and batter Danishka Gunathilaka have also complained of hamstring issues and they ruled out from the tournament. Ashen Bandara,Kasun Rajitha and Binura Fernando are now in 15 member squad and will continue in this tournament.
The Srilankan squad looks quite unsettled as compared to last year. They had Kushal Perera and Avishka Fernando last year but this time they both are out due to injuries. The comeback of Kusal Mendis is the big boost this time.
The Opening Combination:
Kushal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka are the promising pair of the Lankan side. But their inconsistency is the main reason for their failure. Kusal Mendis tries to score much in powerplay but fails most of the time.
Trouble in the Middle:
This is one of the weak middle orders they have. Last year's performer Asalanka is yet to touch the ball properly and their reliable player Bhanuka Rajapaksa is yet to dominate this time.The addition of Dhananjaya de Silva at No.3 is a clever move by the captain. He is the one who can rotate strikes and smashes at one time.
Finishing:
The captain Dasun Shanaka himself is there to finish the game with Karunaratne who is quite more of a bowling all-rounder.
Bowling:
The spin duo in Hasaranga can contribute with the bat also and Theekshana can smash some boundaries if needed. The spin Duo will be the key for Srilanka. Lahiru Kumara and Binura Fernando, the pace duo will be the deciding factors.
STRENGTH:
The strength of this Srilankan side is their spin duo. Hasaranga and Theekshana are their wicket takers. Due to the absence of Chameera, this duo has to step up and turn the table whenever required. The second plus point is captain Shanaka, his bowling sometimes changes the game completely.
Weakness:
Inconsistency Opening and unstable middle order. Srilanka has to fix these holes or else they will be thrashed by other teams. In the first match against Namibia, we had seen the hesitation. In and out, nobody was confident. The pressure from the top will expose their middle during the tournament at any match.
X-Factor:
The chances of Srilanka qualifying for the semi-finals are not much but we can't ignore and underestimate them. The way they played Asia Cup and become the champions, here they can qualify for the semis too. The X Factor for them will be Wanindu Hasaranga. He can change the game anytime if he gets some wickets in the middle overs and with the ability of hitting, he can chase the target if team required at some point.
Probable 11:
Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka(C), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando.
