PAK vs SL: Sri Lanka playing XI vs Pakistan, Match 8, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - Predicted

Sri Lanka will face Pakistan in Match 8 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday in Hyderabad.

Sri Lanka didn't have a great start to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They lost their opening game against South Africa in Delhi by a big margin, which has dented their NRR to maximum effect. Now, Sri Lanka can't afford to lose many consecutive games. They will be up against Pakistan in their next game of this tournament.

That match will be played on October 10 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pakistan won their opening game and will be confident heading into this. Thus, Sri Lanka needs to make sure that they field their best team. Here we will talk about the predicted playing XI for Sri Lanka against Pakistan.

PAK vs SL: Sri Lanka's Predicted playing XI vs Pakistan

1. Kusal Perera :

Kusal Perera got out cheaply against South Africa, but he had an impactful cameo against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 to give his team a good start. The left-hander will be hoping to have something similar in the coming game because Sri Lanka needs a good start, which is the only way to win the game against Pakistan.

2. Pathum Nissanka :

Pathum Nissanka has been the third-highest scorer in ODIs this year but got out for a three-ball duck to a peach of a delivery from Marco Jansen in Sri Lanka's last match. But Nissanka had runs under his belt and will not miss out in the second game. He has scored 819 runs in 21 innings in 2023 at 43.10 with two hundred and five half-centuries.

3. Kusal Mendis (wk) :

Kusal Mendis was looking unstoppable against South Africa, and he was unfortunate to get out, but he was looking to take Sri Lanka to victory. Mendis smashed 76 off 42 balls with four boundaries and eight sixes at a strike rate of 180.95. He is the one who can put Pakistan bowling attack under-pressure from the start and win the game for Sri Lanka.

4. Sadeera Samarawickrama :

Sadeera Samarawickrama looked good for his short stay against South Africa and made a 19-ball 23 but got going. But he will look to score some runs for his team in the important game against Pakistan. Samarawickrama has been in good form this year and scored 500 runs at 38.46 with four half-centuries.

5. Charith Asalanka :

Pakistan won't forget how Charith Asalanka snatched the win from their hand in Asia Cup 2023 with a brisk half-century. The left-hander has done it once and can do it again. That is why Asalanka will be very important for the middle-over. He was the highest scorer in the previous game and scored 79 off 65, which will give him confidence to perform against Pakistan.

6. Dhananjaya de Silva :

Dhananjaya de Silva had a poor game against South Africa with both the bat and the ball. But he is a very important player on this team because of his all-round ability. De Silva did well against Pakistan in the last few matches and is a big match player that can take the game away from the opponent.

7. Dasun Shanaka (c) :

Though Sri Lanka lost the first game, Dasun Shanaka regaining his form was the biggest positive for them. He is a dynamic batter that can chase down any score and has done it consistently in the past. Shanaka scored 68 off 62 and looked good. It can be an alarming sign for men in green, for sure, because he is an impactful player on the team.

8. Dunith Wellalage :

Dunith Wellalage had a horrible day against South Africa, and the 20-year-old might have understood that it takes a lot to play on the biggest stage against some big opponents. But the all-rounder is pretty skilled, as seen in Asia Cup 2023, and we cannot write him off after one poor game. He did well against Pakistan last time around and will hope to deliver something similar.

9. Maheesh Theekshana :

After missing the game against South Africa, Maheesh Theekshana is likely to be back in the squad, which will surely be a confidence booster for Sri Lanka because they certainly missed him in Delhi. Theekshana has enough experience bowling in such conditions and has played against Pakistan quite a bit to do well and give his team an edge.

10. Matheesha Pathirana :

Every Sri Lankan bowler struggled in Delhi, and Matheesha Pathirana had the worst spell of 1/95. But he is pretty good at what he does, and his slingy action makes him a bit difficult for the batters to adjust to. Pathirana will have a crucial role, and if he can take a couple of early wickets, Sri Lanka can put pressure on Pakistan.

11. Kasun Rajitha :

Kasun Rajitha was another Sri Lankan bowler who struggled. He finished with 1/90 and had a pretty decent batting performance. He made 33 off 31 and showed that he can also bat. But Sri Lanka will want him to deliver with the ball. Rajitha can put more pressure on the under-performing top-order of Pakistan and can take a few early wickets.