Former champions Sri Lanka breezed into the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup 2021 and now they have booked their place in with the big boys they will be looking to go all the way and add to their three final appearances. Sri Lankan cricket has been a bit of a mess since the stars of 2014 won this event in Bangladesh but there was enough on show in the first round to suggest they shouldn’t be written off here.
Profile
Captain: Dasun Shanaka
Previous Best: Winners 2014
Key Players: Wanindu Hasaranga & Dustmantha Chameera
Best Odds: 50/1 General
Fixtures (Super 12 Group 1)
Oct 24 vs Bangladesh at Sharjah
Oct 28 vs Australia at Dubai
Oct 30 vs South Africa at Sharjah
Nov 1 vs England at Sharjah
Nov 4 vs West Indies at Abu Dhabi
Squad
Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando.
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Team Guide
Sri Lanka went into the first round of this tournament in the harder looking of the two groups and with some suggesting they would be vulnerable of making it through as a result. That never showed in their performances though as they cruised through with three demolition jobs and if they haven’t taken confidence from that then they won’t take it from anything. That first stage was exactly what this young Sri Lanka team needed.
The strength of this team lies very much in its bowling. They have a genuine five prong bowling attack that can test any team in this tournament. They have pure pace and mystery spin and even better they have tasted the conditions at the venues of four of the five matches they are about to play. If Sri Lanka can find some form with the bat then they have to be considered extremely dangerous dark horses.
Betting
As with Bangladesh in Group 1 of the Super 12s, we are not betting on an even playing field here but we do have two very competitive betting heats. I’m already on Wanindu Hasaranga to lead the bowling charts for the tournament and although he is behind in the standings heading into the Super 12s I’m happy to let that ride with three matches in Sharjah. I think the value comes in the batting market where actually it is Hasaranga who does lead the way.
He sits on 71 runs after the only innings he has played in the tournament but that in itself throws up a problem. He was shoved up to five at 9/3 to be able to play that innings so I don’t see his lead being sustainable. Of the rest behind him we have Pathum Nissanka on 66 runs, Kusal Perera on 44, Bhanuka Rajapaksa on 43 with Avishka Fernando back on 32. I thought heading into the tournament that Fernando was a good thing in this market and I’m not going to give up on him just yet. He effectively trails by 34 runs which isn’t even a decent innings with three of the games in Sharjah. If Nissanka loses his form then Fernando is effectively only 12 back from the next runner and that makes me think the 10/1 that he is the Sri Lanka top scorer by the time this thing is done is just too big. He has been in blinding form this month, hitting 83* in a warm up game with Oman and 62* in another with Bangladesh. I think he’s well worth a bet to overhaul those in front of him.
Tips
Back A.Fernando Top Sri Lanka Tournament Batter for a 1/10 stake at 11.00 with Sky Bet
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