Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in the third of the three-match ODI series. This article provides details about Sri Lanka’s Playing 11 vs Pakistan for the third match of the series.
Sri Lanka Playing XI vs Pakistan- 3rd ODI, Sri Lanka Tour of Pakistan 2025
Openers: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara
The 1996 ODI World Cup winners, Sri Lanka, would like to showcase what they are capable of when they take the field to play the third and final ODI of the ongoing series against Pakistan.
The Charith Asalamka-led side would look to put on a string performance in all three departments of the game to challenge the opposition and give them a run for their money.
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The visitors would bank on their batters to come good against an in-form Pakistani bowling line-up.
For that to happen, the Sri Lankan team management would hope that the openers can give the team a good start in the first ten overs.
The opening pair of Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara would wish to do their job both as a pair and individually as well.
In addition to that, the openers would hope that the middle order capitalizes on the start provided by them, as the team has been found guilty of losing its way after a good start.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranaga
As mentioned, Lanka has found itself in a sort of bother after getting off to a good start, courtesy of losing back-to-back wickets at crucial moments in the game on too many occasions in the last few years.
The responsibility will be on captain Charith Asalanka to make sure that the same scenario is not repeated in the upcoming match, and Lanka can post an above-par total while batting first or chase whatever target is set by the opposition.
Other than the Asalanka, the likes of experienced batter Kusal Mendis and talented wicketkeeper Sadeera Samarawickrama would also look to play crucial knocks in the next game.
One of the major concerns of the Sri Lankan middle order is its timid approach in the middle phase of the innings, something which they would like to work on, given the depth in Lanka’s batting lineup.
Bowlers: Pramod Madushan, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
Like their batting, Lanka’s bowling lineup is also quite top-heavy in the sense that the new ball bowling pair of Dushmantha Chamara and Asitha Fernando have been able to pick wickets in the powerplay but haven’t been backed up.
The lack of wickets after reducing the opposition to a low score in the first half of the innings has come to haunt Sri Lanka quite a lot in the matches gone by, and to a great extent, it is because of the bowling combination.
The Lankan management has been going with only four specialist bowlers, which in modern-day cricket seems to be fewer.
It would be interesting to see if Lanka sticks with the same bowling combination of three specialist fast bowlers, one specialist spinner, and one seam bowling all-rounder, or decides to address the lack of options in the bowling department.
If the team decides to stick with the same combination for the upcoming match, then it will comprise Pramod Madushan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, and Asitha Fernando, with Janith Liyanage being the fifth bowling option.
