Pakistan and Sri Lanka are scheduled to face each other in the 8th match of the ICC 2023 ODI World Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad today (Oct. 10).

Pakistan began their World Cup campaign on a positive note with an impressive 81-run victory over the Netherlands on October 6. Conversely, Sri Lanka suffered a setback in their opening match, losing to South Africa by a margin of 102 runs in a high-scoring game in Delhi.

Pakistan had faced setbacks in their World Cup preparations, with defeats against New Zealand and Australia in warm-up matches. However, they bounced back in style with a commanding 81-run win against the Netherlands in their World Cup opener in Hyderabad, which boosted their confidence.

Despite Pakistan’s recent form and historical superiority over Sri Lanka, one should not underestimate the latter team, especially under the determined captaincy of Dasun Shanaka. Just a few weeks ago, Sri Lanka displayed impressive performances to reach the finals of the Asia Cup, defeating Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka also put up a spirited fight in their opening World Cup match against South Africa in Delhi. Despite chasing a daunting target of 429 runs, Shanaka and Kusal Mendis scored brilliant half-centuries, leading their team to a total of 326 runs. However, they lost the match by 102 runs.

Probable Playing XIs

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha

Source – Inside Sports
--Agencies