Indian Players In Japan (Source: AP Photos)India will go up against Sri Lanka on Thursday (October 1) in the second semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. The India vs Sri Lanka fixture will follow the Pakistan vs Bangladesh match, which will be held at the same venue.Just like all other quarter-final fixtures, India’s first knockout-stage game in the Asian Games 2026, which was supposed to be against Afghanistan, was washed out without a ball being bowled.India have travelled to Japan with a full-strength T20I squad. Of course, they can’t afford any slip-ups before winning the Gold medal. If they fail, all the criticism will be around them, just like how they were under scrutiny when their batters fell like a pack of cards against Japan.With better weather expected for the India vs Sri Lanka Asian Games 2026 match, let’s look at how the Men in Blue could form their playing XI under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.Openers & No. 3: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan KishanIn all likelihood, India will keep the usual top 3, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, who helped them win the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy. If that happens into reality, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old wonderkid, might have to warm the bench once again.Sooryavanshi was anyway on the bench during the recent India vs Japan match. In fact, he was on the sidelines during all three India vs Afghanistan T20Is as well. Therefore, there is little chance that the BCCI think tank would tweak that, despite the fact that India’s top three failed miserably against Japan.Middle-Order & All-Rounders: Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington SundarShreyas Iyer and India’s vice-captain Tilak Varma will come to bat at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. With leadership responsibilities, they will be crucial to the success of the Men in Blue if the top 3 fails once again.Also Read: Top 5 Captains With Most Wins For India In T20IsIndia will likely be stacked with all-rounders again, with Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar all set to make the cut in the playing XI. However, Vipraj Nigam, despite Japan’s favourable spin-friendly conditions, might have to be sidelined once again.Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi BishnoiAfter giving a break in the recent India vs Japan match, Shreyas Iyer is expected to bring Jasprit Bumrah back to the line-up. He will lead the attack, with Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in this format, likely to pair up with him.Meanwhile, Ravi Bishnoi, who conceded 10 runs in his only over against Japan, is likely to keep his place, given that he is the sole designated spinner in the squad.India's Probable Playing XI For Asian Games Vs Sri LankaAbhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi BishnoiAlso Read: Japanese Player Openly Speaks On Shreyas Iyer Influencing Controversial Wide Decision
