World Cup 2023, Match 38 | Sri Lanka Predicted XI vs Bangladesh

image-lolpubumSri Lanka will be facing Bangladesh in the 38th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 World Cup is drawing to an end, with only a few matches remaining in the round-robin stage. The 38th game of the coveted tournament will be played between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, slated to begin at 2:00 PM IST.

Bangladesh have only won one of its seven matches. They won their first game against Afghanistan but lost the rest. They are currently on a six-match losing streak, the most recent defeat of which was against Pakistan. Despite the fact that their semi-final dreams are deceased, they still have a lot to play for. The Tigers' goal is to finish in the top seven spots on the points table. Only then would Bangladesh be able to compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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Sri Lanka's performance in the mega-event has been shilly-shally.  They suffered three defeats before winning against the Netherlands and England. The victory over the Three Lions was fascinating but they were unable to maintain the momentum. The Lions have lost their last two games, the most recent of which being a re-enactment of their humiliation in the Asia Cup 2023 Final. Indian bowlers dashed through their batting order and wrapped them out for just 55 runs. 

The Island nation would look to bounce back from the shell-shock and get some wins under their belt. Let us have a look at their predicted XI against Bangladesh.


Openers: Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne

The Sri Lankan team should start with Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka at the top of the order. The former is one of their consistent batters but was out of form in the lead up to the World Cup. However, he scraped all the rubbish and scored scintillating fifties midway through the big event. Nissanka has racked up 289 runs from seven innings with four back-to-back fifties. His partner, Karunaratne has been a little off-colour so far. Kusal Perera batted with Nissanka at the top but since the last couple of games the former Sri Lankan skipper has replaced Perera.


Middle Order: Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Charith Asalanka

The Sri Lankan middle order is going to consist of players such as Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka. The first two names have been in marvellous form with the bat. Mendis actually was better with the bat without captaincy pressure. But Samarawickrama has been next level with the willow. He scored a ton and two fifties and is the leading run-getter for the Lions. The best part about the right-hander is that he scores runs when the team is in pressure.

Charith Asalanka generally bats at no. 5 for Sri Lanka and has been below par with his batting. He played a brilliant knock against Pakistan during the Asia Cup but failed to rekindle such an antic.


All-rounders: Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva

Angelo Mathews was roped into the Lankan squad as an injury replacement but has failed to reignite the fire inside him. He did pick a wicket against England but failed to leave an impact with his primary role i.e. batting.

Dhananjaya de Silva has been yet another flop for the Lankan unit. However, he is a proven match-winner of the side and they will back him to perform the all-round duties well.


Bowlers: Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha

Sri Lanka should move with Maheesh Theekshana as their primary spin option. His variations should be key in the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Their pace battery should be led by the most newest member of the national team- Dilshan Madushanka. The left-arm pacer has been simply outstanding with the cork in hand, bagging 18 wickets from seven matches. He also got a fifer against India in their last encounter. The other two pacers of the side should be speedster, Dushmantha Chameera and new ball weapon, Kasun Rajitha.


Sri Lanka Predicted XI against Bangladesh

Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (c/wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, and Dilshan Madushanka.