Asia Cup 2023 |PAK vs SL, Super Fours Match 5 - Top Captain and Vice-captain Picks

image-lmi4gwf2Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be facing each other in the fifth match of the Super Fours in Asia Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 Asia Cup has taken an exciting turn after India managed to win both of their matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Game number 5 of the Super Fours will see Pakistan square off against Sri Lanka in do-or-die encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The play is slated to begin at 3:00 PM IST, Local Time.

Both sides were going through a purple patch in the tournament and were undefeated until they met the Indian contingent led by Rohit Sharma. Pakistan incurred a massive drubbing in their last game, losing 228 runs in a gargantuan chase of 357 runs target. Currently, they have two points in the bag and have dwindled from the top position to number three.  

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On the other hand, the hosts have been brilliant in the tournament in the absence of four of their first-choice cricketers.  They thrashed Bangladesh twice, won a must-win nail-biter against Afghanistan and right after gave a valiant fight to the table toppers, India. In their next assessment, the Dasun Shanaka-led unit will be facing an uphill task to dismantle the side captained by Babar Azam. The team that wins the game will cement a spot for the main event of the tournament to face India. And if by chance rain plays a spoilsport, Sri Lanka will make it to the finals due to their superior net run rate.


PAK vs SL, Match 11: Venue Analysis

The surfaces at the R. Premadasa Stadium has been a bit low scoring if looked at the last three innings. The pacers does get the early swing and the batters need to play out that phase.  As a batter, it's better to look for scoring opportunities with the hard ball. The strips have been assisstive to spin in the last few matches and they are going to play a decisive role in the contest.


PAK vs SL, Match 11: Toss Factor

Scenario: Sri Lanka wins the toss.

Seeing the result of the last match, Dasun Shanaka might opt to bat first this day. Putting runs on the board has fared well for Sri Lanka in the last few games for them. And the pitch also tends to get more conducive to spinners later which means the trio of Theekshana, Wellalage and Dhananjaya de Silva gets to confront better.

Scenario: Pakistan wins the toss.

Pakistan incurred their first loss in the tournament in their latest match against India. They are a bowling dominant side and might look to offer Sri Lanka to bat first. They may try to bundle the opposition to a low score and then chase it down with handful of promising batters.


PAK vs SL, Match 11: Top Captain and Vice-captain choices

Scenario: Sri Lanka bats first

Babar Azam

The Pakistani stalwart has already notched up a ton in the ongoing Asia Cup. He is one of the mainstays in their batting department and on conditions like these where the ball might swing early or the spinners might come into play, Babar can bat sensibly and walk through a chase.

Pathum Nissanka

The Sri Lankan opener notched three  ODI centuries since the start of 2021 which is the most by a Lankan cricketer in the due time. Nissanka is a very good batter against both pace and spin and has been the most consistent batter of the team in the past couple of months in white ball.


Scenario: If Pakistan bats first

Dunith Wellalage

The Pakistani right-handers does face some issue against left-arm orthodox spin and Dunith Wellalage can be name that could cause some problem. He scalped a fifer against India in Sri Lanka's latest game and also batted superbly. He also showed glimpses of his good batting technichue in the group stage game against Afghanistan.

Matheesha Pathirana

The young gun was endorsed by the legend MS Dhoni several times during the 2023 Indian Premier League. He comes late in the act with the ball and generally operates in the second and third powerplay. When the batters may look to slam hard in the slog overs, Pathirana may come out on top with wickets. Hence, Pathirana can be a great pick for Captain or Vice-captain.


PAK vs SL, Match 11: Big Risk, Big Return Choices

Shaheen Afridi

The left-arm pacer has made a habit of scalping wickets with the new ball. His in-swinging yorkers are a menace for any right-handed batter. He has snapped eight wickets in four innings and can be a good option provided he plays.

Sadeera Samarawickrama

The middle-order Lankan batter has been superb since his comeback to the side a few months back. He was astounding in the red-ball format and now transferred his potent into the bigger stages while battling the white cherry. Samarawickrama is the leading run-getter for Sri Lanka in the current competition with 167 runs from four innings.