India’s cricket captain, Suryakumar Yadav, confirmed two notable changes to the playing lineup for their final Super Fours match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup on Friday.
Suryakumar Yadav has announced two changes to Team India for the Sri Lanka match.
This fixture holds no bearing on the tournament’s final standings, as both India and Pakistan have already secured their places in the grand finale.
The most significant alteration sees pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah being rested. With the highly anticipated title clash against Pakistan just around the corner on Sunday, the team management decided to preserve their star bowler. All-rounder Shivam Dube has also been given a well-deserved break.
Stepping into their shoes are Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. For Arshdeep, this match provides another valuable opportunity to hone his skills in the crucial death overs, especially after recently reaching the impressive milestone of 100 T20I wickets. Harshit, meanwhile, continues to press his case for a permanent spot in the squad.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav candidly admitted that Team India still has areas to improve upon, particularly their fielding. Recalling their previous encounter with Sri Lanka, he mentioned that several catches were dropped, a deficiency the team is keen to rectify in upcoming matches.
For Sri Lanka, already out of contention for the final, this match is solely about pride. Having yet to secure a win in the Super Fours stage, they aimed to finish their campaign on a high note.
After winning the toss, Captain Charith Asalanka elected to bowl first, hoping his bowlers could restrict India to a manageable target for their chase.
Adding to the selection discussions, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma once again missed out on a spot in the playing XI. Despite considerable speculation surrounding his inclusion, his chances of featuring in the tournament now appear slim with the final looming.
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
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