IND vs SL: Sri Lanka playing XI vs India, Match 33, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – Predicted

Sri Lanka will face India in match 33 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday.

Sri Lanka have struggled in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They have only won two games out of six played so far and have three more games to go. Though they are not yet eliminated mathematically, anything can be possible. But their next game is against the table-toppers India, which have won all their matches so far.

Sri Lanka will have to win the next game to stay alive in the competition and to fight for a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. But it looks a bit difficult from here on. For that, Sri Lanka will have to play well as a unit. Here we will talk about the predicted playing XI for Sri Lanka against India in Mumbai on Thursday.

IND vs SL: Sri Lanka's Predicted playing XI vs India

1. Pathum Nissanka :

Pathum Nissanka has been in red-hot form. He is only the second player after Shubman Gill who has scored more than 100 runs in ODIs in 2023. He has carried that form into this tournament as well. Nissanka has scored 289 runs at 57.80 and has scored four half-centuries. He will look to carry on that momentum against India and play well.

2. Dimuth Karunaratne :

Dimuth Karunaratne played his first game of the tournament against Afghanistan and got out after scoring just 15 runs. But he is a pretty solid batter and has immense success in red-ball cricket. He can be a headache if he gets set because he can play big innings and others can bat freely around him.

3. Kusal Mendis (c & wk) :

Kusal Mendis hit 15 sixes in the first two innings he played in the tournament and looked like he was unstoppable, but then he had some low scores. Mendis has scored 268 runs at a strike rate of 127.01, and he can be a possible game-changer against India. Being a captain, he will have the responsibility and will look to take his team to victory.

4. Sadeera Samarawickrama :

Sadeera Samarawickrama has been the best batter for Sri Lanka in this tournament. He is the highest run-scorer for his team and has scored 331 runs at an average and strike rate of 82.75 and 104.41, respectively. With the form he is in, he will feel confident enough to deliver against India, which the Men in Blue should be aware of.

5. Charith Asalanka :

Charith Asalanka has played some good innings in the middle-order. The left-hander had a good Asia Cup 2023 and has been among the runs this tournament as well. Asalanka has scored 171 runs at an average of 34.25. He can take the game deep and put pressure on the Indian spinners. He took four wickets against India in the Asia Cup 2023.

6. Dhananjaya de Silva :

Dhananjaya de Silva is the spin all-rounder in the team, but his form has been a concern for Sri Lanka. The veteran star has scored only 87 runs and hasn't picked up many wickets. But he can get some help in Mumbai on the dry pitch, trouble the Indian batters, restrict them from scoring, and add value with the bat in hand.

7. Angelo Mathews :

Angelo Mathews made it into the team and made an impact right away in the game against England. He is the most experienced player in the team and has played against India more than anyone else in Sri Lanka. The all-rounder will have a lot of responsibility to handle and can be a player to watch out for from his side.

8. Maheesh Theekshana :

Maheesh Theekshana will be the one bowler who can cause the most trouble for the Indian batters. Indian batters have found it tough when it spins, and Theekshana has some different varieties, which can make him a difficult prospect to handle for the Indian batters. Sri Lanka will hope for him to deliver a match-wining spell that can help the team win.

9. Kasun Rajitha :

Kasun Rajitha has been among the wickets in this tournament. He has played four matches, taken eight wickets, and picked up wickets with the new ball, which can be a challenge for the Indian top order. He can be nippy at times and has a great bouncer to trouble the batter at any stage.

10. Dushmantha Chameera :

Dushmantha Chameera played his first game against Afghanistan and went wicketless. He has been a key player for Sri Lanka in the white-ball format but was out of action due to injury. However, he has made his comeback now and will be looking to do well to help his team, which is struggling at the moment.

11. Dilshan Madushanka :

India have a history with left-arm pacers and have found it tough at times when the ball is swinging from a left-arm angle, and Dilshan Madushanka can create something special by taking some early wickets to put India under pressure. He has already taken 13 wickets so far at a strike rate of 24 and has been in good form.