Asia Cup 2023: BIG Blow To Sri Lanka Ahead Of Final Against India As Key Player Ruled Out
The winners of the Asia Cup 2023 will be announced in Colombo on Sunday, with Sri Lanka and India competing to take home the trophy. Maheesh Theekshana, a vital bowler for Sri Lanka, has suffered another injury ahead of the crucial match, meaning he will miss the championship match.
An extensive list of injured bowlers from Sri Lanka, including Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Lahiru Kumara, now includes Theekshana.
According to Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, "Men in Blue" have a "better chance" of winning the ICC Cricket World Cup, which begins in India on October 5 since they are familiar with the playing conditions.
Speaking to the media during the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy visit, Shanaka did say that there is a "good chance for all the teams" to perform well.
"In my opinion, there are neither benefits nor drawbacks. You quickly learn how batting-friendly the wickets are in India.
Everyone's team has a decent chance. India has a better chance since they are more familiar with the playing conditions and have players of a higher grade," Shanaka told the media. According to the SL captain, his squad possesses players who are capable of winning a match by themselves.
"Our lineup for batting is strong. We have excellent spinners on our side as well," he continued.
Shanaka stated, "I think pitches will be a challenge," in reference to the largest obstacle facing India at the World Cup. It's going to be hard to bowl. There is very little room for error. We must do exceptionally well."
According to Shanaka, his staff is capable of performing effectively in Asian environments. Shanaka concurred when asked if specific players' IPL experience—Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheese Pathirana, etc.—will be advantageous, but he also pointed out that there aren't many Sri Lankan players in the IPL.
"I believe we have players capable of playing in the IPL at that level. In the upcoming years, I am looking forward to it," he continued.
"It is not about the final," Shanaka stated while discussing whether or not Sri Lanka and India will compete in the World Cup final as they did in 2011. It has to do with the procedure that we must follow throughout the Asia Cup.
We made it to the final despite missing some of our most important players. We stand a good chance of making the final if we follow the procedure." In the Asia Cup final on Sunday in Colombo, India will play Sri Lanka.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanaka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis (vc), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan.