Asia Cup, PAK vs SL | 5 Player Battles To Watch Out For in Match 11

Sri Lankan players celebrating a wicket against India (AP Photos)

The most crucial Super Four match of the ongoing Asia Cup will take place on Thursday, September 14, at R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The loser of this fixture will be eliminated from the competition, while the winners will team up with India and play in the summit match to claim the coveted trophy.

Pakistan are likely to be without both Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, who did not bat last time against India due to injury concerns. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will go all guns blazing, with 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage emerging as the rising sensation.

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What then are the player battles that will entertain the audience in this fixture? Let’s take a look at them.

Dasun Shanaka vs Shadab Khan

Dasun Shanaka usually steps up with the bat when Sri Lanka need him the most (AP Photos)

As the contest is set to be dominated by the spinners, Dasun Shanaka's approach to Shadab Khan will be intriguing. So far in the ODIs, Shanaka has faced Shadab 18 balls, and smashed two fours and one six. Besides, the Sri Lankan captain was also dismissed once, and also played 11 dot deliveries.

Dimuth Karunaratne vs Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi is the leader of the pack in Pakistan attack (AP Photos)

In ODIs, Dimuth Karunaratne has never faced Shaheen Afridi, but in Tests, he has a dismal record against Pakistan's talismanic pacer. The Sri Lankan opener, who scored 67 runs and had a red-ball cricket average of 22.3, lost his wicket to Shaheen three times in 109 deliveries.

Imam-ul-Haq vs Kasun Rajitha

Kasun Rajitha has a stellar record against Imam-ul-Haq (AP Photos)

Even though Imam-ul-Haq and Kasun Rajitha have only faced off in Test matches, the former tends to struggle against him. In 28 deliveries, the Pakistani opener lost his wicket twice and scored just five runs, having played 24 dot balls.

Fakhar Zaman vs Dhananjaya de Silva

Dhananjaya de Silva smiling during the Asia Cup 2023 (AP Photos)

In ODI matches, Fakhar Zaman has yet to take on Dhananjaya de Silva. However, the Sri Lankan all-rounder has a stunning record against the Pakistani opener in T20s, having dismissed him twice in eight deliveries while only giving up three runs.

Babar Azam vs Maheesh Theekshana

Babar Azam looking at the sky during the IND vs PAK in Asia Cup 2023 (AP Photos)

The battle between Babar Azam and Maheesh Theekshana, two of the country's top performers in their respective departments, is likely to be the most fascinating. Interestingly, the two have not yet faced off in ODIs, but in the other formats, the Pakistan captain—who is also the No. 1 batsman in the world for 50-over matches—dominates the Sri Lankan wizard more often than not.

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