ICC World Cup Qualifiers, SL vs IRE | Match Preview, Pitch Report, Predicted XIs, Fantasy Tips & Prediction
Dasun Shanaka with Sri Lankan teammates ahead of Oman fixture (Twitter)
Undefeated Sri Lanka will take on a winless Irish side in match number 15 of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 qualifiers. With contrasting campaigns to show for, the upcoming contest marks the third fixture for both sides this tournament.
Team Preview: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka crushed UAE by 175 runs in their tournament opener before steamrolling Oman by 10 wickets. Unsurprisingly, they are placed at the top of the Group B points table and remain one of the prime contenders to seal one of the two available slots for the 2023 World Cup.
Prior to the competition, Dasun Shanaka and co. also defeated a strong Afghanistan unit at home. They are currently on a four-game winning run and will be looking to extend their streak with more wins ahead of the big event in India.
Team Preview: Ireland
Curtis Campher celebrates his ton against Scotland (Twitter)
Despite their strong reputation in limited-overs internationals, Ireland lost out to Oman in their opening Group B fixture. To make matters worse, the Andy Balbirnie-led side also lost to lower-ranked Scotland in a thrilling final-ball finish.
In both matches, Ireland batters posted strong 280-plus totals. While the team’s batting composition has been pretty much spot on in their approach, their bowlers need to step up if they are to entertain any chances of upstaging the Asian heavyweights.
Match Details
Date and Time: June 25, 12:30 PM IST
Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Live Streaming and Broadcast: Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report
The Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo provides considerable assistance to pacers, with something on offer for batsmen once they settle in. The average first-innings score at the venue across all ODIs has been 232. The captain winning the toss might look to bowl first, considering the track record of the chasing sides here.
Probable Playing XIs
SL: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara.
Ireland: Andy McBrine, Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Joshua Little and Benjamin White.
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicketkeeper: Lorcan Tucker
Batters: Dimuth Karunaratne, Paul Stirling, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis
All-Rounders: Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka
Bowlers: Mark Adair, Josh Little, Kasun Rajitha
Captain: Dasun Shanaka
Vice-Captain: Wanindu Hasaranga
Prediction
Sri Lanka is considered as favourites to defeat Ireland in Bulawayo.
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