Sri Lanka vs South Africa T20 WC Live Score: Sri Lanka will depend on their extremely different collection of bowlers to subdue the explosive batting power of South Africa in the opening game of Group D in the T20 World Cup on Monday.
In addition, they are keen to get more points than other teams because some tricky sides such as Netherlands, Nepal and Bangladesh have been placed in their group.
South Africa have shown all their cards by how they selected their team, which is a key indicator of what direction the country would take in this ICC showpiece.
Any bowling attack could be destroyed by Captain Aiden Markram, wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs who make up the batting line-up.
Moreover, these two players’ performances have been outstanding recently. The right-hander has averaged 41 and hit at a rate of 182 during this World Cup cycle
Klaasen also scored 471 runs at an astonishing strike-rate of 171 for Sunrisers Hyderabad during IPL 2024.
The Capitals have also seen Stubbs perform well with his bat; he scored 378 runs from just fourteen games with a strike-rate of 190.
These two excellent batsmen are likely to come into bat when spinners are bowling. To make matters worse for Sri Lanka, both are great against spinners especially Klaasen
Before this WC was play out, Transvaal’s 32-year-old scored an average fifty-nine runs per match against spinners while hitting boundaries every three balls or so
This will certainly be a concern for Lankan tweakers like skipper Wanindu Hasaranga (economy rate:7.42) & Maheesh Theekshana (6.71), who have had injury concerns in recent times
Therefore, Sri Lanka that hasn’t gone past any round after their successful campaign in 2014 T20 WC will probably want to have Pathirana and Madhushanka bowl a few overs when Klaasen and Stubbs are looking to accelerate.
Nevertheless, Lanka may take some heart from the fact that the West Indies beat Proteas 3-0 in the recent T20Is at Kingston
Additionally, Lanka hopes that New York wicket remains bowler friendly as was evident during Saturday’s warm-up game between India and Bangladesh where a few deliveries didn’t even get above ankle and knee level
It is important to note that Lankans have been among the most active teams in terms of T20Is play this year. In 2024, they won home series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan as well as touring Bangladesh successfully.
Moreover, they have only lost three out of nine recent Twenty20 internationals.
However, all these factors will be irrelevant on Sunday morning; instead Sri Lanka knows its batsmen must also rise against their African opponents.
They can count on experienced Angelo Mathews, explosive Kusal Mendis & solid Dhananjaya de Silva while former skipper Dasun Shanaka can provide late order runs.
On the other hand, South Africa attack does not offer much variety with their bowling unit revolving mainly around Kagiso pacer Rabada and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
Nortje, though coming back from injury and playing in IPL with a lackluster run rate of over 11 runs per over.
The SA think-tank will pray for the bowler to find his rhythm on the grandest stage which will be a game changer if South Africa is to avoid another sub-par show at a World Cup.
Squad: South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav
Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, 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. Travelling Reserves: Asitha Fernando Vijayakanth Viyaskanth Bhanuka Rajapaksa Janith Liyanage
