A star-studded 15-men Srilankan T20 Squad has been unveiled for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The mega event, which will be jointly held by the West Indies and the USA, will witness a strong line-up of players by Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board announced in December that Wanindu Hasaranga would lead the charge for the Tigers.
The Complete Srilankan T20 Squad
Here is the complete squad for Sri Lanka:
- Wanindu Hasaranga (c)
- Charith Asalanka
- Kusal Mendis
- Pathum Nissanka
- Kamindu Mendis
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Angelo Mathews
- Dasun Shanaka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Dunith Wellalage
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Nuwan Thushara
- Dilshan Madushanka
Sri Lanka’s Schedule:
| Match | Date and Time | Opponent | Venue |
| Match no 4 | Jun 03 2024, Mon – 08:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs South Africa | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, USA |
| Match no 15 | Jun 08 2024, Sat – 06:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, USA |
| Match no 23 | Jun 12 2024, Wed – 05:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs Nepal | Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, USA |
| Match no 38 | Jun 17 2024, Mon – 06:00 PM | Sri Lanka vs Netherlands | Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia |
Leadership at the Forefront of Srilankan T20 Squad
Wanindu Hasaranga has been vital in the recent success achieved by Sri Lanka on the big stage. This includes his amazing performance at World Cups and Asia Cup tournaments. He was also declared the Man of the Tournament at Asia Cup 2022 held in Dubai. This shows his potential and the trouble he will cause the batsmen at the mega event.
His right hand will be Charith Asalanka. He has also been instrumental in Srilanka’s success in the shorter format. He is a tactically sound batsman and also a more than handy bowler too. This shows the depth of the Srilankan T20 Squad.
Boastful Experience
The return of Angelo Mathews has boosted the morale of the entire squad. A sixth appearance for the veteran all-rounder at the T20 World Cups and a former champion of the 2014 campaign too. This comeback will surely be worth watching and help Sri Lanka’s chances at the T20 World Cup.
Not only him, but experienced campaigners in the likes of Shananka and Dhananjaya de Silva are also part of the pack. De Silva, the current Test Captain, will surely be helpful in the implementation of strategy and tactics. Shanaka has led Sri Lanka on various occasions on the International stage, and it will be handy to have him back in the mix.
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The Balance of the Squad
Featuring multiple all-rounders in the Srilankan T20 squad balances out the batting and bowling prowesses—the captain himself, a spin-allrounder, alongside Wellalage, De Silva, and Kamindu Mendis. The pace battery features experienced Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka.
Additionally, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara bring in the X-factor for the Lankan Tigers. These two with their slinging action remind me of the Maestro himself, the great Lasith Malinga. Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madhushanka are also a part of this potent Sri Lankan squad.
What do the stats say?
Let’s talk about the pace attack first:
| Bowlers | Wickets |
| Angelo Mathews | 45 |
| Nuwan Thushara | 11 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 31 |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 11 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | 55 |
| Dilshan Madhushanka | 14 |
| Total Wickets | 167 |
There is a decent number of wickets among all the speedsters, with a combination of experience and young blood in there too. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
Are the Batsmen up to the mark?
Sri Lankan batsmen have always been the most mysterious characters in their tales of great cricketing history. Here is what the stats have to say about that:
| Batsmen / All-rounder | Total T20I Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
| Kusal Mendis | 1554 | 25.1 | 135.7 |
| Pathum Nissanka | 1231 | 28.0 | 116.5 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 209 | 26.1 | 135.7 |
| Angelo Mathews | 1354 | 27.6 | 120.3 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | 310 | 20.7 | 110.3 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 1444 | 20.9 | 123.4 |
| Dhananjaya De Silva | 792 | 20.8 | 116.6 |
| Charith Asalanka | 990 | 25.4 | 126.0 |
Will this line-up with mediocre stats be able to pull some miracle off at the T20I World Cup?
All the batsmen have an average of less than 30, but they have great potential as we saw in the last two editions of the Asia Cup tournament.
What to expect from the Srilankan T20I Squad?
The expectations are always risky, but for the Srilankan fans, they might be too much. Based on the stats and figures, they might not go too far into the tournament. But from the other perspective, Sri Lanka can be a Pandora’s box in this edition of the tournament.
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