After a poor show in the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, the Sri Lankan cricket squad is determined to prove everyone wrong in the upcoming T20 World Cup. This year, the ‘underdog’ island nation faces a rugged mountain to climb if it is to capture the famous trophy for the second time.
Due to their low ICC ranking, the Lankan Lions would have to qualify in the first round to face the big boys in Super 12. Sri Lanka has continuously underperformed in the ICC event since their last title in 2014. Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain, hopes his team punches above their weight to reach the semifinals.
Likely Player Squad for Sri Lanka T20 World Cup
It will be intriguing to see who Sri Lanka selects for the T20 World Cup. In 2022, one of the critical obstacles for Sri Lanka cricket team players will be coping with bouncy Australian tracks.
Because the squad has not travelled to Australia frequently, their players are unfamiliar with the many situations they may experience. As a result, the Sri Lanka team for the T20 World Cup would need batters who appreciate pace and bounce and bowlers who can exploit the same.
The 2022 U-19 World Cup is a fantastic opportunity if the squad seeks new players. D Wellalage, the Sri Lankan U-19 captain, might be an ideal replacement for a troubled middle order that has frequently imploded.
Wanindu Hasaranga has been the X-factor in previous ICC T20 World Cups, and it would be interesting to see if he can duplicate his performances in Australia. It will also be fascinating to observe if the team is prepared to make this wager later this year.
Here is the likely squad for the Srilanka Team for T20 World Cup this year:
- A Fernando
- B Rajapaksa
- P Nissanka
- D Wellalage
- D Shanaka (c)
- D de Silva
- C Asalanka
- W Hasaranga
- K Perera
- D Chandimal
- C Karunaratne
- D Chameera
- L Kumara
- B Fernando
- A Dananjaya
Performance in Past T20 World Cup
For Sri Lanka, the 2021 T20 World Cup was a disaster. They got off to a great start, easily defeating nations like Namibia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The match against the “Orange Nation” Netherlands, in which they took all ten wickets for just 44 runs, was their most significant victory. Thrilled to have won their group in the opening round, Sri Lanka’s performance rapidly deteriorated.
After winning their opening Super 12s match against Bangladesh, the Lankan Lions suffered a string of losses that forced them to withdraw from the competition. The Lankan team lost by 7 wickets to Australia, 4 wickets to South Africa, and 26 runs to England.
They could, however, end on a high by defeating West Indies by 20 runs. Even though Sri Lanka was considered the more difficult Super 12 group, they would not have advanced with these performances.
Predictions for 2022 T20 World Cup
Few Cricket experts would rank Sri Lanka as the favorites to advance to the championship round, let alone win it.
However, Sri Lanka is a side that has a chance to shock the top-ranked teams. A fantastic illustration of how this little island nation can pull off incredible upsets to win a competition is the 1996 World Cup in the fifty-over format. When the tournament begins, Sri Lanka hopes for solid performances from a few superstars.
Players with the experience of Perera, Hasaranga, Shanaka, and Chandimal can lead their team to victory. The Sri Lankan fans would like to see their team win a trophy this winter and have the talent to make a significant impression. They are forced to move forward since they are up against a wall.
