India’s campaign so far has showcased moments of brilliance alongside glaring flaws. Abhishek Sharma has emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, anchoring the batting order with consistent stroke play. On the bowling front, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been pivotal, providing breakthroughs at key stages. However, India’s fielding has raised alarms, with 12 dropped chances exposing vulnerabilities that could prove costly in the final against Pakistan. To manage workloads, India has rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube, reintroducing Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana into the XI for their second appearance of the tournament.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be disappointed with how their Super Fours campaign has unfolded. After going unbeaten in the group stage, they stumbled in back-to-back fixtures and lost their chance at the final. Despite this, skipper Charith Asalanka emphasised the importance of finishing strong, opting to field first in hopes of restricting India to a manageable total of around 170-175. The team made one change, with Janith Liyange replacing Chamika Karunaratne, signalling intent to test fresh combinations ahead of future assignments.
At the toss, Suryakumar Yadav, leading India, underlined the team’s focus on maintaining momentum and brushing aside fielding lapses. While the result of this fixture may not alter the tournament standings, it provides India with a chance to fine-tune its balance and Sri Lanka with an opportunity to bow out with dignity.
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka(c), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
