Sri Lanka name star-studded squad for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024

[Nikhil_cric]

Sri Lanka name star-studded squad for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024

All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga will lead an experienced Sri Lanka outfit for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

Hasaranga, who was named as the Sri Lanka T20I captain in December last year, will lead the team in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies and USA. Middle-order batter Charith Asalanka has been named as his deputy.

Sri Lanka have banked on the experience of veteran Angelo Mathews, who returned to the T20I setup earlier this year in January after an absence of nearly three years. This will be Mathews' sixth T20 World Cup appearance, as he was part of Sri Lanka's victorious campaign in 2014.

There will be leadership experience aplenty in the Sri Lanka setup, with former limited overs skipper Dasun Shanaka also in the mix along with Kusal Mendis (current ODI captain) and Dhananjaya de Silva (current Test captain).

With an emphasis on balance, Sri Lanka have picked multiple all-round options in their squad. Skipper Hasaranga himself is among the spin-bowling all-rounders, along with Dunith Wellalage, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Kamindu Mendis. Mathews and Shanaka are the two dependable pace-bowling all-round options in the squad.

Sri Lanka Squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dilshan Madushanka

Traveling Reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Janith Liyanage.

Source: ICC

 

[The Bald Eagle]

The only good thing about this squad is that Hasaranga is leading them.

 

[FearlessRoar]

I sense Wasim Akram's factor in their selection

 

[Cricket Warrior]

The only good thing about this squad is that Hasaranga is leading them.

This could be a worrying sign for them because he remains unfit most of the time.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1790030599870165305

 

[mominsaigol]

@Rana

Bad news, Pakistan missed a trick by not selecting saud shakeel.

Hasaranga will eat the current unit alive, you needed saud to neutralise hasaranga

 

[Rana]

@Rana

Bad news, Pakistan missed a trick by not selecting saud shakeel.

Hasaranga will eat the current unit alive, you needed saud to neutralise hasaranga

We won’t come across him as he won’t be in our Super 8 grounp

Our challenge will be Adil Rashid, Akiel Hossein, Motie, Shamsi, Maharaj

 

[mominsaigol]

We won’t come across him as he won’t be in our Super 8 grounp

Our challenge will be Adil Rashid, Akiel Hossein, Motie, Shamsi, Maharaj

IC. Fair point.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Sri Lanka wait on star quick as selectors mull third spin option for T20 World Cup

Selectors are tossing up how best to balance their XI at the T20 World Cup as the fitness of a key fast bowler continues to be monitored.

Sri Lanka are confident key pacer Matheesha Pathirana will be fit for the start of next month's ICC Men's T20 World Cup as the island nation weigh up how many spinners to include in their XI.

Pathirana hurt his hamstring during a stint with the Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League and was sent home to Sri Lanka to recover ahead of the start of the T20 World Cup on June 1.

The right-armer was one of four quicks named in Sri Lanka's 15-player squad for the T20 World Cup alongside Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera and is expected to play a crucial role in their quest for a second title after they tasted success in Bangladesh in 2014.

Sri Lanka's chief selector Upul Tharanga expects Pathirana to be fit for their first game at the T20 World Cup against South Africa in New York on June 3 and believes his side have enough firepower in their pace attack to trouble opposition sides.

"We have players to bowl at the death, but it's in the Powerplay that we need to focus on picking up wickets. So for that we have Madushanka and then as travelling reserve we have Asitha (Fernando)," Tharanga said.

"If we take our side, Thushara, Pathirana they can bowl in the death overs. But we needed someone that could come in if we needed a wicket-taking option with the new ball, which is why we went with Asitha (as a reserve over Binura Fernando)."

Sri Lanka also have a bevy of spinning options in their squad for the T20 World Cup, with Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage all capable of providing an extra option alongside skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and star off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana.

Tharanga is still tossing up how to get the balance of his side right for the T20 World Cup, but believes playing three spinners in the same XI is an option worth consideration.

"There could be a chance that we play three spinners sometimes. Looking at that is why we picked Dunith (Wellalage), particularly his batting, because sometimes we could go with him ahead of a fast-bowling all-rounder," Tharanga said.

"As for Dhananjaya, we value his bowling. And with regard to power-hitting, we think we can get that from elsewhere in the side. In terms of his all-round input, and taking into consideration the conditions, he was a better option."

With the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, Tharanga thinks teams will face a variety of different pitches throughout the nine different venues and teams will need to adapt quickly during the tournament.

The former Sri Lanka captain does expect the wickets in the USA in particular to be quite slow and believes they will be conducive to spin.

"If you look at the conditions in America and the West Indies, most of it is pointing towards the wickets there being quite slow," Tharanga said.

"The Major League tournament was played in Dallas with drop-in pitches. If you look at those, even though they're being brought down from Australia they are still quite uneven and a little slow. This could of course change, so it's a little hard to predict."

ICC

 

[hassan918]

Looks like a decent squad. Not sure, why Kusal Perera isn't in the squad. They may miss his experience and explosive batting at the top.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Looks like a decent squad. Not sure, why Kusal Perera isn't in the squad. They may miss his experience and explosive batting at the top.

True that he's missing out as he's a decent player when on song. They've not even named him in the reserves.