After a gap of five days, West Indies are back to take on Sri Lanka in match 35 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Sri Lanka have officially been knocked out of the semi-final’s race, and with two losses in three games, even the West Indies are hanging on by a fine thread.
West Indies
After being demolished by England and then thwarted by South Africa, West Indies finally got back to winning ways by holding on to their nerves, winning the match by just three runs against Bangladesh. They have struggled to adapt to the slow and low pitches in UAE and have been found wanting.
Evin Lewis has been their pick of the batters, scoring 68 runs at a strike rate of 138.77. With Chris Gayle for the company at the opposite end, the West Indies openers can light up the stadium with their fireworks. Nicholas Pooran, who returned to form with 40 off 22 balls against Bangladesh, will be key in the middle-overs to lift West Indies to an above-par total.
On the bowling front, the slow left-arm bowling of Akeal Hosein has been very potent. So far, Hosein has picked up four wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of just 6.25, and he’s the leading wicket-taker for the West Indies. Jason Holder, who was lucky to be involved after being called as an injury replacement, will add a lot of balance to the side with his economic bowling and power hitting down the order. The defending champions, who are currently in the fifth position in Group 1, need to win their remaining games to have a chance to qualify for the semi-final.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka became the second team after Bangladesh to be officially ruled out of the semi-final race. After a series of powerful performances in Round 1, Sri Lanka chased down a stiff total against Bangladesh to kick-start their Super 12 round, but three consecutive losses have set them back. Despite a poor T20 World Cup, there have been a few positives for Sri Lanka.
Wanindu Hasaranga has been the star of this T20 World Cup, leading the wicket-takers charts with 14 wickets in seven innings, including a magnificent hat-trick against the Proteas. He has been one of the most economical bowlers in the tournament, conceding runs at just 5.25 runs per over. He’s also shown his batting skills, scoring 119 runs at a healthy strike rate of 148.75, which is the highest for any Sri Lankan batter who has faced a minimum of 10 balls.
Pathum Nissanka might not have set the tournament on fire, but the 23-year-old has been the top scorer for Sri Lanka, scoring 170 runs, including two half-centuries. He has provided stability to the Lankan batting line-up, which has otherwise struggled to get going. With Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in good form in the middle-order, scoring at a strike rate of 140.51 and 143. 51 respectively, the Sri Lankan batting line-up can pose a threat to the aging West Indian bowling line-up.
Probable Playing XI
West Indies
Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Kieron Pollard (C), Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Akeal Hosein and Ravi Rampaul.
Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (WK), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (C), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana and Binura Fernando