Sri Lanka announce young squad for Asian Games 2023

By Swapneel Deshpande 20 Sep 2023, 14:25 IST

Sri Lanka Unveils Youthful Squad for Asian Games 2023

Sri Lanka has unveiled a youthful squad for the Asian Games 2023 cricket event, which will be played in the T20 format in Hangzhou, China. With the ODI World Cup taking place concurrently, countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have opted to send second-string teams to compete for gold.

All-rounder Sahan Arachchige will captain the side, having made his international debut earlier this year in the ICC World Cup Qualifier against the West Indies. Among the squad members, only Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, and Ashen Bandara have some international experience. Bandara, in particular, has the most international appearances for Sri Lanka, with six ODIs and five T20Is.

Despite limited international exposure, many of the selected players have gained valuable experience in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and have represented the Sri Lanka ‘A’ side. Arachchige was a last-minute replacement for the injured Maheesh Theekshana during the Asia Cup 2023 final between India and Sri Lanka.

The Asian Games 2023 squad features promising talents like Lasith Croospulle, Shevon Daniel, and Lahiru Samarakoon, among others. Croospulle, who had a successful LPL 2023 campaign, scored 232 runs in eight matches at an average of 33.14 and a strike rate of 139.76. Meanwhile, Thushara, known for his slingy action similar to the legendary Lasith Malinga, had an impressive LPL 2023 season, taking 11 wickets in seven matches at an average of 19.27 and a strike rate of 14.18.

Sri Lanka has secured a direct entry into the quarter-final stage based on their ICC rankings. They will compete in the third quarter-final on October 4 against one of the qualifying teams.