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19 March 2024

SRI LANKA

Published
By Agencies

Captain: Mahela Jayawardene.

Coach: Graham Ford

Hosts Sri Lanka have already showcased their all-round skill in the World Twenty20, reaching the final in England in 2009 and the last four in the next edition in the West Indies the following year.

Inspired by crowd support and aided by familiar conditions, Mahela Jayawardene's team start as unofficial favourites with batsmen and bowlers to rise to the big occasion.

The home team will not be short of T20 experience, having played two matches against Pakistan and one against India in recent months. Most of their players also recently figured in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League.

They have excellent batsmen in Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, and talented all-rounders in Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera.

Sri Lanka also have a match-winning paceman in Lasith Malinga, and the return of unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis adds variety to their attack.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Shaminda Eranga, Akila Dananjaya.