Sri Lanka have announced their 15-member squad for the 2023 Asia Cup. Some key players such as Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, and Dilshan Madushanka won’t participate in the competition due to injuries. While Avishka Fernando picked up COVID-19 and got ruled out of the tournament.
With the absence of pivotal players in the squad, there will be a responsibility on these 15 players to showcase their mettle and help their team retain the coveted trophy. On August 31, they will lock horns with Bangladesh at the Pallekele International Stadium and kick off their 2023 Asia Cup campaign.
Here is Sri Lanka’s strongest XI for the Asia Cup 2023
1. Pathum Nissanka
Pathum Nissanka will handle the role of an opener in the team. The right-handed batter has scored 1264 runs with three tons and nine half-centuries in 34 ODIs. This year, Nissanka is in fine form as he has chalked up 687 runs with a couple of tons and five fifties in 14 ODIs.
In June 2023, Sri Lanka hosted Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series and they began the competition with a six-wicket loss in the first match in Hambantota. Following that game, Sri Lanka came back strongly against the Afghan side and won the series. In this success, Nissanka played a vital role with his bat.
In the second ODI, the 25-year-old scored 43 off 56 while in the final game, he chipped in with a half-century. The Sri Lanka stalwart concluded the series as the second-leading run-getter with 132 runs in three matches. In this Asia Cup, he will be expected to do wonders with his bat so that Sri Lanka can instil fear among the opponents in the marquee one-day event. With his great batting prowess, Nissanka takes the top spot in Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023.
2. Dimuth Karunartane
Dimuth Karunaratne will be seen supporting Nissanka as an opener. Karunaratne is one of the most experienced players in this Sri Lanka squad. Serving Sri Lanka since 2011, he has played 44 ODIs, in which he accumulated 1248 runs with a century and 11 fifties in 40 innings.
This year, he has played 10 ODIs so far and has scored 481 runs with a ton and five fifties. In the Afghanistan series, he exuded confidence with his bat, scoring 112 runs with a couple of fifties in three matches. In the crucial World Cup Qualifier final, in 2023, he notched up his maiden ODI ton against Ireland and guided his team to a massive 133-run win.
The Sri Lanka veteran ended up as the third-leading run-getter in the qualifier tournament. He scored 369 runs with a century and three fifties in seven contests. In the 2023 Asia Cup, the Sri Lanka team management will expect Karunaratne to utilise his experience and play impactful knocks for the side.
3. Kusal Perera
Along with Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera also contracted COVID-19, this month. However, he recovered from the virus and now, he is completely fit to become a part of Sri Lanka’s playing XI against Bangladesh in the second Asia Cup 2023 game. The 33-year-old is a vital part of the defending champions due to his batting at top order.
In Sri Lanka’s 2014 Asia Cup victory, Perera scored 153 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 78.46. Playing the final game against Pakistan, the left-handed batter delivered a swift knock of 42 off 37 to his team. This time, six-time Asian champions aren’t the favourites to win the title but Sri Lankan fans will expect the veteran such as Perera to step up and help their team put up a spunky show in the competition.
The 33-year-old has played 107 ODIs and has scored 3071 runs with 15 fifties and six centuries. He played his last ODI game against England in Bristol in July 2021. Since then, he hasn’t played any one-day match for Sri Lanka and if he gets a chance to make it to the playing XI, he will strive to make his comeback memorable after landing his name into Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023.
4. Kusal Mendis (wk)
Kusal Mendis’s responsibility will be to strengthen the team’s middle order. He has more than seven years of experience in ODI cricket and during this difficult time, when some key players are missing from the squad, Mendis will be expected to step up and deliver some match-winning knocks to his team in the continental tournament.
The wicketkeeper batter has amassed 2945 in 103 innings of 106 ODIs at a strike rate of 84.33. He also notched up a couple of tons and 22 fifties in his seven-year ODI career. This time, his performance has been decent as he has scored 329 runs with a couple of fifties in 16 ODIs. Mendis will look to continue his good work ahead.
5. Charith Asalanka
Charith Asalanka has played a decent number of ODI matches since making his debut in the format in June 2021. As a wicketkeeper batter, his role will be to provide a boost to the upper middle order with his aggressive batting style. Thus far, he has scored 1093 runs with a century and eight fifties in 35 ODIs.
In the ICC World Cup Qualifier, 2023, Asalanka scored 187 runs in five innings of eight matches at a strike rate of 115.43. Earlier, Asalanka looked effective with his bat in the Afghanistan series as well. Playing the three-match ODI series, he scored 97 runs in a couple of innings at a strike rate of 90.65. With a stat like this, Asalanka certainly makes his way into Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023.
6. Dhananjaya de Silva
Dhananjaya de Silva has the potential to deliver effective knocks to the team while batting in the lower middle order, which is why the batter is included in Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023. His batting numbers indicate that he could play anywhere in the middle order but in the number six position, he has done the best scoring 531 runs in 22 ODIs at a strike rate of 75.42.
This year, de Silva has piled up 307 runs with a couple of fifties in 10 innings of 13 ODIs. Against The Netherlands in the World Cup Qualifiers, 2023, he notched up his best ODI knock of 93 under pressure. In the marquee tournament, the 31-year-old will look to take bowling units to the cleaners with his exceptional batting talent.
7. Dasun Shanaka (c)
Dasun Shanaka will have to lead Sri Lanka from the front to retain the title. In 2022, the team pulled off the Asia Cup trophy under his captaincy but this time, things won’t be easy for him as a skipper. The tournament is getting played in the ODI format, this year, and along with that, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are playing quality cricket consistently.
In 2023, Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 2-1 in the three-match ODI series at home under his captaincy. Besides that, the team also played confidently in World Cup Qualifiers 2023 and qualified for the World Cup 2023 to be held in India in October-November.
8. Dushan Hemantha
In Wanindu Hasaranga’s absence, Dushan Hemantha will carry the responsibility of spearheading the spin attack. The 29-year-old broke into international cricket this year during the ODI series against Afghanistan in June. The leg-spinner has played two ODIs, in which he has picked up two wickets at an economy of 5.21.
Like Hasaranga, Hemantha could also be handy with the bat down the order. In List A cricket, he has scored 1175 runs in 58 innings of 64 matches, at a strike rate of 83.68. Hemantha’s endeavours will be to play positive cricket in the continental tournament and reserve his spot in the team that will travel to India for the 2023 World Cup.
9. Dunith Wellalage
Dunith Wellalage is the youngest member of Sri Lanka’s 2023 Asia Cup squad. The 20-year-old made his ODI debut against Australia in Pallekele in June 2022. The left-arm spinner has bagged nine wickets in eight innings of nine ODIs at an economy of 5.94.
In the Lanka Premier League (LPL), the youngster took 10 wickets for Jaffna Kings in nine matches at an economy of 7.04. Noting his disciplined bowling display in the league, the Sri Lanka team management believed in him to spearhead the spin-bowling unit of the side in the enormous ODI event.
Bringing youth and energy into the team, Wallalage certainly holds a place in Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023.
10. Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana has done an incredible job for Sri Lanka, this year. The pacer played eight matches in the World Cup Qualifiers, in 2023, and ended up as the second-leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps in eight matches at an economy of 4.02.
Theekshana has played 22 matches in the ODI format but he hasn’t proven his potential against quality sides. The 23-year-old bowler will look to be impactful in this competition to bring cheers to the faces of his team’s fans again after the 2022 Asia Cup. In the recently concluded LPL, Theekshana put up a fine show with the ball for the Jaffna Kings. He picked up seven wickets in nine games at an economy of 6.83 in the league.
11. Matheesha Pathirana
Matheesha Pathirana is named in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup 2023 squad. This year, he hit the headlines after his stunning bowling performance for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The pacer grabbed 19 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 8.00.
Following his quality bowling display in the IPL, Sri Lanka Cricket showed faith in him for the ODI series against Afghanistan. The speedster has clinched four wickets in four ODIs at an economy of 6.48. In the Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka fans will want him to deliver match-winning spells to the team.
Pathirana, on the back of his sensational performance certainly makes a case for being included in Sri Lanka's best playing XI for Asia Cup 2023.
CricTracker Desk
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