Almost 15 hours after their emphatic victory over Pakistan, the Indian cricket team is back at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for the third consecutive day, with Axar Patel replacing Shardul Thakur in the playing XI for the Asia Cup Super Four match against Sri Lanka. In a challenging schedule, India is set to bat first after winning the toss, and skipper Rohit Sharma expressed confidence in his refreshed team despite the grueling schedule.
“We are going to have a bat. That’s the challenge you come across as a sportsman, different challenges thrown at you as a player and as a team. We ensured everyone got into the pool after the game last night. They are fresh as we had five days off before these two games,” Rohit said, highlighting his team’s resilience.
Despite being on the field for three successive days, India made only one change to their playing XI, bringing in Axar Patel as the third spinner in place of pace-all-rounder Shardul Thakur. This tactical adjustment takes into account the drier pitch conditions, which are likely to favor spinners, while also retaining three quality pacers in the squad.
However, India will miss the services of Shreyas Iyer, who has been ruled out of the game against Sri Lanka due to a back spasm. The Mumbai batter was also absent in the previous match against Pakistan and has been advised rest by the medical team.
Here are the confirmed playing XIs for the match:
India Playing 11: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (w), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka Playing 11: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana.
The match promises to be an exciting contest as both teams strive to secure their place in the Asia Cup Super Four stage. Stay tuned for live updates and thrilling cricket action as India and Sri Lanka clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
- India makes one change as Axar Patel replaces Shardul Thakur in the playing XI for the Asia Cup Super Four match against Sri Lanka.
- Despite a grueling schedule, India’s captain Rohit Sharma expresses confidence in his team’s readiness and resilience.
- Shreyas Iyer is ruled out of the game due to a back spasm, while Axar Patel’s inclusion accounts for the drier pitch conditions expected to favor spinners.
- India aims to continue their winning streak in the Asia Cup, while Sri Lanka seeks to secure their place in the Super Four stage.