Sri Lanka will play their first match of the ODI World Cup 2023 against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Sri Lanka qualified for this tournament after playing 2023 WC Qualifiers where they were seen winning 8 consecutive games row overall they were on a 13-match winning streak but unfortunately, they don’t have the firepower to face a big side as we saw what happened against India in the Asia Cup 2023 finals and also they are coming after back-to-back loss against Bangladesh and Afghanistan in warm-up games.
Here, in this article, we will see about Sri Lanka’s playing XI for their first match of ODI WC 2023.
Openers: Kusal Perera-Pathum Nissanka
Kusal Perera is expected to open the innings for Sri Lanka as Dimuth Karunaratne has been very disappointing with the bat in this format, while Pathum Nissanka has been in very good touch with the bat as he remains the third-highest run-scorer in this calendar year (2023) in ODIs after Shubman Gill and Asif Khan (UAE batsman).
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Middle Order: Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Charith Asalanka
Kusal Mendis has played a key role for Sri Lanka to enter the finals of Asia Cup 2023 by defeating sides like Afghanistan (Group Stage), and Pakistan (Super Fours). Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka have also been in very good touch with the bat in the recently concluded Asia Cup event to ensure a place in the starting XI of the side.
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All-Rounders: Dhananjaya de Silva and Dasun Shanaka
Dhananjaya de Silva being the most experienced campaigner adds a lot to the table, and Dasun Shanaka being the skipper of the Sri Lankan side is expected to start in the first XI easily.
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Bowlers: Dunith Wellalage, Lahiru Kumara, Dushan Hemantha, and Matheesha Pathirana
The 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage showed his talent on a big stage by picking a five-wicket haul against India in the Asia Cup 2023. The likes of big bowlers like Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana will be missed out but Dushan Hemantha would look to prove himself on a big stage.
Matheesha Pathirana will be a key bowler for Sri Lanka as his performance will determine their team’s chances to win this game and he will accompanied by another experienced player Lahiru Kumara.
