T20 World Cup 2022: Match 39 - Predicted Sri Lanka Playing XI vs England

Sri Lanka will take on England in their final encounter of the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 and this will be an important game for the Jos Buttler led-side. The Island nation are currently at the fourth position in the points table with four points and their hopes of making the semi-finals have fallen apart after Australia managed to win their final Group game against Afghanistan.

Despite getting knocked out of the tournament, Sri Lanka will have a chance to decide who goes into the semi finals of the tournament between Australia and England. A win for Sri Lanka will make Australia qualify into the semifinals alongside New Zealand.

Also, the Dasun Shanaka led-side will look to end the Super 12 stages campaign with a victory as it will be a massive confidence booster against a high-quality England side. With all that said, let us look at the predicted probable playing XI of Sri Lanka for their fixture against England.  

Openers – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk) 

Pathum Nissanka is one of the top batters in the Sri Lankan side and he has got the knack of converting his starts into big scores. However, the right-hander has been dismissed quite early in the recent times which has been an area of concern for Sri Lanka. The youngster has got the goods to deliver and he will be looking to make a big score.  

Kusal Mendis has been among the runs consistently in recent times and he has played some match-winning knocks at the top of the order. The wicketkeeper-batter has taken advantage of the powerplay and he has already notched up 205 runs in the seven innings in the tournament. Sri Lanka will bank on him to deliver against a quality England bowling attack. 

Middle order – Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 

Dhanajaya de Silva finally lived up to his reputation with the bat in the previous game against Afghanistan and his unbeaten 66-run knock helped Sri Lanka get over the line. The knock certainly would have done a world of good to the confidence of the right-hander and he will be eyeing to make another impactful performance.  

Charith Asalanka played the supporting act for De Silva in the previous game. The left-hander is slowly getting back to form with some decent knocks. The youngster has been seen as the future of the Sri Lankan side and a lot will be expected out of him. He can connect a long ball once he gets going and Sri Lanka would be hoping for him to do so.  

Bhanuka Rajapaksa had a good start in the previous innings but perished after hitting three fours in his 18-run knock. The left-hander is highly rated for his batting skills and he can damage the opposition bowlers in a quick time. The 31-year-old needs to be more consistent as he holds a key factor in the middle order. 

All rounders – Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne 

Dasun Shanaka hasn’t contributed much to the batting line up in the tournament so far, however, his match-winning abilities down the order cannot be underestimated. He has taken Sri Lanka over the line on numerous occasions this year and has been in good form coming into this tournament.  

Wanindu Hasaranga has taken the most wickets in the tournament for his team so far and he has been impressive throughout the campaign. The spinner has used the googly quite effectively and he is expected to be a potent weapon against the England batting.  

Chamika Karunaratne is expected to come into the line-up in the place of Pramod Madushan to bolster the batting. The seam-bowling all-rounder is handy down the order and he has taken the responsibility of bowling the death overs on most of the occasions. His desire to do well for the country is quite visible every time he steps onto the field.  

Bowlers – Mahesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha 

Mahesh Theekshana has been a revelation for Sri Lanka and has bowled in different phases of the game. The mystery spinner has kept the scoring rate in check from one side and hardly gives freebies for the batter to pounce on. After conceding more than eight runs an over in the previous game in his spell, Theekshana would be looking to better his performance.  

Lahiru Kumara is one of the quickest bowlers in the tournament and his raw pace has troubled the batters when he hits the right lengths. He can be expensive at times but has got the ability to find breakthroughs constantly. Kumara will be looking to bring his A-game into play against England.  

Kasun Rajitha did arrive late in the plans as a cover for the injured pacers, however, he was on the money straightaway. The speedster has hit the good lengths and has swung the ball upfront, which is a key factor in the powerplay. He has got the knack of picking wickets and is expected to hold onto his place.