Sri Lanka squad analysis ahead of world cup 2023

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka squad complete analysis. Strengths & weakness of Sri Lanka side in World Cup 2023

Sri Lanka (Images: ©ICC/Twitter)

An injury-stricken Sri Lanka will take on South Africa in their first game of the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 on October 07 in Delhi.

Riding on the back of a decent record in the last 15 ODIs, the Lanka side is definitely one of the favorites to win the biggest cricketing tournament being hosted in India. Before losing to India in the group stage of Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka had won 13 ODI matches back-to-back.

Sri Lanka’s World Cup aspirations are being hampered by the injuries to its experienced players. The biggest blow this team faced is the unavailability of the ace all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga - who recently missed the Asia Cup too due to an injury. He has not been included in the 15-member squad as he is still in the process of recovering from an injury.

Previously, Sri Lanka had failed to qualify directly for the World Cup as they were not in the top eight in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The Dasun Shanaka-led side played the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. They confirmed their spot in the 2023 edition by breezing past the host Zimbabwe in the Super Six encounter. Later, they secured the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier crown with a comfortable 128 run victory over Netherlands in the final.

Read More: Here’s why Team India is the hot favorite in World Cup 2023

Sri Lanka’s ODI World Cup history

Sri Lanka have a pretty decent ODI World Cup record. The team had achieved success beginning in the 1990s. They rose from the underdog status to win the 1996 World Cup.

Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final three times, winning the 1996 edition under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga and they also finished as runners-up in the 2007 & 2011 World Cup. The Lankans had also reached the semi-final stage in the 2003 World Cup and the quarter final in 2015.

Sri Lanka finished sixth in the 2019 ODI World Cup with three wins. With veterans Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews, the team put up a rather impressive performance in the tournament, managing to defeat England, Afghanistan and the West Indies.

The Lankans, however, did not make it past the group stage in 2019 and hence, they will look to do much better this time.

Sri Lanka squad for the World Cup 2023: Dasun Shanaka (C), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara & Dilshan Madhushanka.

Reserve Player - Chamika Karunaratne.

Read More: World Cup 2023: The Kiwi squad looking for redemption

Sri Lanka CWC 2023 Squad Analysis

Strengths of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s biggest strength lies in their bowling attack. With the inclusion of Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara and more, the side will rely on its bowlers to put up impressive and magnificent performances to get them in a good position.

Another big strength of the team is all-rounder Maheesh Theekshana, who often displays his skills with both ball and the bat. He was the leading wicket taker in Asia Cup 2023 with 11 wickets. Theekshana and a few other Sri Lankan players have also been a part of the IPL and hence they will benefit from their past experiences.

With regard to the batting department, Sri Lanka will hope that Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva give their best at the top of the order. Blessed with a solid technique, the experienced wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis has risen rapidly and quickly become one of the most promising young batters in the world. He was the second-highest run scorer in the recently concluded Asia Cup, with 270 runs in 6 matches at an average of 45.00.

Another player who can prove to be the strength of this Sri Lanka side is Pathum Nissanka - who has given marvelous performances in ODIs recently. In 20 innings he averages 45.5 and has scored 1396 runs. The 20-year-old Dunith Wellalageho, who impressed everyone with his performance in the recent Asia Cup, will also be a player to watch out for.'

Read More: World Cup 2023: Is this Australian side capable of winning it the 6th time?

Weakness of Sri Lanka Squad

The gaping weakness for the Sri Lanka side in the ODI World Cup is the absence of experienced players owing to injuries. The biggest blow for the side is the absence of Hasaranga who could have proven to be one of their best players in the World Cup.

An additional concern which can cause headaches for them is the out of form players - including Dimuth Karunaratne.

Though they have a good record in the last few ODI matches, nobody can contest that they have proven to be an inconsistent side in World Cups held recently. They have occasionally given brilliant performances, but have seen frequent slumps in both their bowling and batting departments. Their World Cup campaign will depend heavily on them performing consistently.

They need more stability at the top and need to improve their bowling in the death overs.

The Lankan Lions had put up an impressive show in the recently concluded Asia Cup. They finished the tournament as runners-up. As a result, they are one of the favorites in World Cup 2023 and are expected to finish at the top by many.

Probable Playing XI of Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana & Dilshan Madushanka.

Read More: The Pakistan side looks set to make a mark in World Cup 2023