Sri Lanka go into the Abu Dhabi game with a simple brief: win or at least avoid a heavy loss. Pathum Nissanka has been the heartbeat of their batting so far and the top order has mostly done its job, but the real selection story is in the bowling department.
Matheesha Pathirana, who returned from injury this year, has struggled for consistency and is back on the bench, while Maheesh Theekshana has kept his place because he gives the team more control in the middle overs. The probable XI against Afghanistan looks settled for now. Sri Lanka, unbeaten so far with two wins, are in pole position but still need to avoid a heavy defeat to ensure qualification.
Asia Cup 2025: Probable Sri Lanka Playing XI vs Afghanistan
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pathum Nissanka |
| 2 | Kusal Mendis (wk) |
| 3 | Kamil Mishara |
| 4 | Kusal Perera |
| 5 | Charith Asalanka (c) |
| 6 | Kamindu Mendis |
| 7 | Dasun Shanaka |
| 8 | Wanindu Hasaranga |
| 9 | Maheesh Theekshana |
| 10 | Dushmantha Chameera |
| 11 | Nuwan Thushara |
How the XI has been performing, in plain terms. Pathum Nissanka has been doing the heavy lifting at the top. His 68 in the win over Hong Kong steadied a shaky chase and showed why Sri Lanka backs him as the anchor. In this Asia Cup, he has scored a total of 118 runs at an average of 59.00.
Kusal Mendis and Kamil Mishara haven’t had huge scores but have held the innings together when needed, and Kusal Perera still brings that violent counterpunch capability lower down. Charith Asalanka has been the calm centre, leading with intent.
The seam department is doing the job it must. Dushmantha Chameera has been the strike option with the new ball and at the death as he took two important wickets against Hong Kong and made life difficult for opposition batters. Nuwan Thushara and Dasun Shanaka provide useful support and experience; Shanaka’s lower-order hitting and bankable bowling option give Sri Lanka enough flexibility.
Wanindu Hasaranga returned to contribute with quick runs and remains a big X-factor as a batting all-rounder who can bowl overs at crucial moments. Overall, Sri Lanka’s balance is currently weighted to control in the middle overs and a couple of big hitters late.
Theekshana vs Pathirana
The selection headache is simple to describe. Maheesh Theekshana was picked ahead of Pathirana in the Hong Kong match and finished with four overs for 22, no wickets. It was a tidy, economy-first spell that fits the conditions in the UAE perfectly. Meanwhile, Matheesha Pathirana has been on the bench and his returns since coming back from injury have been erratic.
Matheesha Pathirana T20 stats in 2025
| Inns | Overs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 85.5 | 23 | 3/36 | 37.56 | 10.06 | 22.3 |
Those figures explain the selection logic. Pathirana remains a weapon when he’s on song, but the economy and average in this sample are a concern for a team that needs control at crucial junctures. Given the Abu Dhabi surfaces and the way Sri Lanka want to manage the middle overs, Theekshana’s ability to bowl tight overs without leaking runs looks more valuable right now. In his last 11 T20 apperances, Pathirana has taken just one wicket or less as many as 9 times!
