Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Back As Sri Lanka Put India Into Bat In Asian Games Semifinal

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back for IND vs SL semifinal [Source: AFP]In a significant development, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the Asian Games 2026 semifinal against India. At toss, Lankan captain Sahan Arachchige revealed that his side would chase to capitalise on the playing conditions at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in the first semifinal. If India win against Sri Lanka, fans will witness the mega clash between the arch-rivals in the final. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back; Who has he replaced in India XI vs SL?Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns to India's playing XI for the Asian Games semifinal match against Sri Lanka. The swashbuckling southpaw warmed the bench throughout the Afghanistan series, with India preferring the experienced duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as their openers. Sooryavanshi also found himself out of the India playing XI vs Japan, which witnessed two key changes for the Asian Games semifinal. Arshdeep Singh and Yash Thakur have been excluded, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah returning to the lineup. Also Read: Korogi Sports Park Pitch Report, Weather Report For IND vs SL- Asian Games 2026 Semifinal 2If we look at the team sheets, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma are expected to open the batting, with Sanju Samon coming at number three. Samson has also been named India's wicketkeeper for the match. India's playing XI vs Sri Lanka- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit BumrahA look at Sri Lanka's playing XI for Asian Games 2026 semifinal vs IndiaOn the other hand, Sri Lanka have slotted the explosive Sineth Jayawardena alongside Lasith Croospulle as their opening batters. The duo will be followed by keeper-batter Sohan de Livera, who has a strike rate of 148.3 in T20 cricket. Nuwanidu Fernando, Ashen Bandara and Sahan Arachchige will spearhead the Lankan middle order, with the experienced Chamika Karunaratne playing as the first-choice allrounder. Sri Lanka Playing XI- Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardena, Sohan de Livera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura FernandoAlso Read: India vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming, Live Telecast- Where To Watch Asian Games Semi-Final 2 2026?