Sri Lanka takes on Zimbabwe in the third and final ODI in Colombo on January 11, 2024. The Lankans won the second ODI by two wickets and are leading the series 1-0/. A win in the final ODI will give them a series win.
Sri Lanka chased down 208 in the 49th over in the second ODI. Janith Liyanage scored 95 batting at number four. The tailenders then ensured Sri Lanka got over the line. Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera scored 18 while Jeffrey Vandersay scored an unbeaten 19 to take the hosts over the line.
The weather forecast for the third ODI does not look good. There is an 85-90 percent chance of rain that might play spoilsport. There are thunderstorms expected in the evening. Rain also played spoilsport in the first ODI, and the third ODI might be washed out.
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Sri Lanka’s subdued performance in the World Cup led the thinktank to change captains across formats. The selection committee led by Upul Tharanga named three different cations across formats for the national team. Kusal Mendis will lead in ODIs, Wanindu Hasaranga in T20Is and Dhananjaya de Silva in T20Is.
Heading into this series, Sri Lanka are placed seventh in the ICC ODI rankings and their opponents Zimbabwe are placed 11th. The Lankans endured a tough 2023 losing the Asia Cup 2023 final against India and then just winning two games in the ICC World Cup 2023.
Sri Lanka Playing 11 vs Zimbabwe – 3rd ODI, 2024
Avishka Fernando
Fernando will open the batting in the absence of Pathum Nissanka who is ruled out with dengue. He scored a duck in the first ODI and just four in the second ODI. He is six short of 1000 runs in ODI cricket.
Kusal Mendis (C/WK)
Mendis will open the batting with Fernando. He scored scored 46 in his first knock as captain. He followed it up with just 17 in the second ODI. The keeper-batter was named as Sri Lanka’s full-time ODI skipper replacing Dasun Shanaka. Mendis scored 294 runs in the recently concluded World Cup.
Sadeera Samarawickrama
Sadeera will slot in at three. He scored just four in the second ODI. Mendis and Sadeera are the two best batters in Sri Lankan white-ball sides at the moment. He was Sri Lanka’s top-scorer in the World Cup with 373 runs from nine matches at an average of 53.29.
Janith Liyanage
The right-hander will slot in at four. He scored 95 match-winning runs in the second ODI that laid the platform for Sri Lanka’s win in this low-scoring contest. The previous game was just the second ODI of his career.
Charith Asalanka
Asalanka scored a duck in the second ODI to follow up his century in the first ODI which was washed out. He is inching closer to 1700 ODI runs. He has been named the vice-captain of the ODI and T20I squads recently.
Dasun Shanaka
Shanaka the former skipper scored just 7 in the second ODI. He scored 8 in the first ODI. The former skipper was asked to step down after Sri Lanka’s below-par performance in the Asia Cup 2023 and the 2023 ODI World Cup under him.
Sahan Arachchige
The batting all-rounder scored 21 crucial runs in the lower-order with the game getting tight in the end overs. He has played 4 ODIs and already has a best score of 57. The entire Sri Lankan batting lineup including him needs to bat well in the decider.
Maheesh Theekshana
Theekshana scored 18 crucial runs and took 4/31 with the ball. In the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, he is Sri Lanka’s lead spinner in ODIs at the moment. The off-spinner has taken 54 wickets from 37 games.
Dushmantha Chameera
Chameera scored an unbeaten 18 to win the match for Sri Lanka with the bat and took 2/44. The bowler unfortunately has been injury-ridden for the most of his career. He has taken 54 wickets from 50 ODIs for his team.
Jeffrey Vandersay
Vandersay also scored an unbeaten 19 with the bat to win the match for Sri Lanka. He has picked up 27 wickets from 21 ODIs and should get a longer run across formats for Sri Lanka.
Dilshan Madushanka
The pacer concludes the likely XI for Sri Lanka in the third ODI. He and Chameera are the two specialist pacers in the XI. Recently Dilshan Madushanka bagged an IPL deal with Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024.
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