World Cup 2023, Match 19 | Sri Lanka Predicted XI vs Netherlands

Arijit Kundu

image-lnydg38eSri Lanka will be playing against the Netherlands in the 19th match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 World Cup has a doubleheader in store for us after an abundance of solo fixtures. The first match will take place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. The ongoing tournament's 19th game will start at 10:30 AM on October 21.

The Netherlands lost their opening two games of the tournament against Pakistan and New Zealand. After the T20 World Cup 2022, the Dutch once again left the Proteas in disbelief, with their most recent triumph over South Africa. They now hold the eighth position with two points from three games played.

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Sri Lanka had a dismal beginning to the competition. They are the only team devoid of a win thus far in the World Cup. The Island nation participated in three games and lost each of them. It began with South Africa, where they conceded the highest total in a World Cup innings i.e. 428. It was followed by a narrow defeat against Pakistan followed by Australia's conquer. In the previous match, they were without Matheesha Pathirana, and Dasun Shanaka was ruled out from the tourney due to injury. Kusal Mendis is currently leading the troop and Dushmantha Chameera and Angelo Mathews has been roped in as a cover disguised as travelling reserves.

So how does the Sri Lankan XI against Netherlands sound? Let's have a look.


Openers: Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera

Sri Lanka got a perfect start against Australia in their recent match. Both batters raced to half-centuries as Nissanka scored 61 off 67 while Perera scored 78 off 82 deliveries.

This was the first time in the World Cup that Sri Lanka got a solid opening stand i.e 125 runs. Certainly this is a huge positive for the Island nation that are struggling to find their first win of the tournament. Perera lacked lustre post injury but his knock against the Aussies would be a great positive for Sri Lanka.


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

The pair of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama was in surreal form before the last game against the Aussies. The interim skipper aggregated 356 runs from three innings before their third match of the World Cup. He got out twice in the nervous nineties during the recently concluded Asia Cup but converted the fifties into big hundred during the warm-up fixture and World cup games.

Samarawickrama and Asalanka are more like the silent contributors for the team. The former notched up a ton against Pakistan while Asalanka made some handy contributions with the bat at the need of hour during the Asia Cup 2023.


All-rounders: Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne and Dunith Wellalage

Dhaanjaya de Silva is an interval part of the Lankan Lions not just with the bat but also with the ball in hand. He hasn't been at his absolute best in white ball in recent times but needs come strong. He shall be partnered by Dunith Wellalage with the ball in hand during the middle overs. The conditions of Ekana Stadium shall be apt for the finger spinners to weave cob around the batters and such will be the expectation from Wellalage.

In another recent development, Chamika Karunaratne replaced Dasun Shanaka in the squad as the regular skipper was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to injury. It's a like-for-like replacement and Karunaratne would look to bounce back after the failure in the last game.


Bowlers: Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka and Lahiru Kumara

Sri Lanka are having a wary time as they dealt with yet another injury and it was the talented youngster, Matheesha Pathirana. In his absence Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka took care of the pace bowling and such should be the case in the upcoming game as well. Maheesh Theekshana shall be their primary spinner and will play a pivotal role in the battle on queue.


Sri Lanka Predicted XI vs Australia

Pathum Nissanka,  Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis (c/wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva. Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, and Dilshan Madushanka.