T20 World Cup SriLanka

After a dismal performance in the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup, the Sri Lankan cricket team is ready to prove everyone wrong in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup. This year, the island nation playing with an ‘underdog’ tag has a steep mountain to climb if they want to lift the prestigious trophy for the second time. Sri Lanka is currently holding the eighth position in the ICC T20I ranking. Sri Lanka has been consistently underperforming in the ICC event since they last won a trophy in 2014. Captain Wanindu Hasaranga hopes the Sri Lanka cricket players punch above their weight to qualify for the semi-finals this time in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka’s performance in T20 World Cups has been a tale of two halves. A team that dominated this format from 2007 to 2014 struggled to perform well in their past T20I performances. After the retirement of stalwarts like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, T Dilshan, and Lasith Malinga, the team has always struggled to find the right balance in their squad.

One of the biggest reasons for Sri Lanka’s success in the tournament's early years was the number of match-winners. This has not been the case for the past few years, and the team has been heavily dependent on a few inexperienced players to perform and put up a good show. Sri Lanka would not need any outside motivation once they settle things internally with a glorious history and a record they can be proud of.

It would be interesting to see how the Sri Lankan cricket team performs in the upcoming T20 World Cup. One of the major challenges Sri Lankan cricket team players may face is playing on unfamiliar American tracks in 2024.

Since the team has not travelled to the USA often, their players may lack an understanding of the different conditions they might face. The Sri Lanka Team for the T20 World Cup would, therefore, require batters who enjoy pace and bounce and bowlers who could use the same.

Wanindu Hasaranga has been the X-factor in the previous ICC T20 World Cups, and it will be exciting to see if he can repeat his performances at the World Cup in America. It would also be interesting to see if the team is ready to play this bet later this year.

Here is the likely squad for the Sri Lankan Team for the T20 World Cup this year:

• Wanindu Hasaranga (c)
• Charith Asalanka (vc)
• Kusal Mendis
• Pathum Nissanka
• Kamindu Mendis
• Sadeera Samarawickrama
• Angelo Mathews
• Dasun Shanaka
• Dhananjaya De Silva
• Maheesh Theekshana
• Dunith Wellalage
• Dushmantha Chameera
• Nuwan Thushara
• Matheesha Pathirana
• Dilshan Madushanka

Sri Lanka has been lucky to have some great captains in the past. The current captain Hasaranga has been trying hard to bring a struggling team together. With legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene leading the team in the past it is no surprise that historically, the team has performed brilliantly in the tournament.

Add to that brilliance the excellent coaches Sri Lanka had; the team has always been well groomed for success. A Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Captain is a job of responsibility and honour. The nation would be proud of what the former captains have achieved.

Here is a list of Sri Lanka’s previous coaches and captains:

The 2021 T20 World Cup was a dismal one for Sri Lanka. They started with a blast, comfortably beating the likes of Namibia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Their biggest win was against the ‘Orange Nation’ Netherlands, where they got all ten wickets just for 44. A jubilant Sri Lanka topped their group table in the first round, but the performances started deteriorating rather quickly.

After their first Super 12s match against Bangladesh which resulted in a win, the Lankan Lions saw a series of defeats to put them out of the tournament. The Lankans lost their match against Australia by 7 wickets, against South Africa by 4 wickets, and against England by 26 runs.

However, they could finish on a high by beating West Indies by 20 runs. Sri Lanka was arguably in the tougher Super 12 group, but performances like these would not have helped them qualify.

In the T20 World Cup 2022, Sri Lanka had a mixed performance. They lost their first match to Namibia by 55 runs but then bounced back to defeat UAE by 79 runs. They continued their winning streak by defeating Netherlands by 16 runs and Ireland by 9 wickets. However, they suffered defeats against host Australia by 7 wickets and New Zealand by 65 runs. Despite a victory over Afghanistan, they were knocked out of the series after losing to England by 4 wickets.

Not many Fantasy Cricket pundits would have Sri Lanka as the favourites to be a semi-finalist, let alone win the trophy.

Nevertheless, if there is a team that can surprise the highest-ranking teams, it is Sri Lanka. The 1996 fifty-over World Cup is a great example of how this tiny island nation can produce massive upsets to win a tournament. There are a few superstars that Sri Lanka hopes for a good performance from when the tournament starts.

Players such as Hasaranga, Shanaka, and Charith, are experienced enough to take their team all the way. They have the skill sets to have a massive impact, and the Sri Lankan fans would hope for a trophy this year. Their backs are against the wall, and they can only go forward.

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