Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI vs India for Asian Games 2026 semis [Source: X]In the second semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 cricket contest, Sri Lanka will compete against India on Thursday, October 1st. The match will be held at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin at 10:00 AM IST.India were scheduled to play Afghanistan in the quarter-final before it got washed out due to excessive rain. Therefore, due to a higher T20I ranking, Team India got direct entry into the semis.On the other hand, Sri Lanka also couldn’t face Nepal in the quarter-final due to bad weather and directly landed in the semi-final. Overall, both teams haven’t had match practice, with the weather threat still looming.Regardless, Sri Lanka will definitely have to bring their A game in Japan, and on that note, let’s analyse their strongest playing XI for the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against India.Also Read - Sri Lanka Squad For Asian Games 2026 Announced; RCB Star IncludedTop Order - Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Ashen BandaraSri Lanka will need a solid start in the powerplay to put India on the backfoot. Hence, the opening pair of Nuwanidu Fernando and Lasith Croospulle is the best combination to go for.Fernando has played only 3 T20Is before but has a decent record in domestic cricket, where he holds a strike rate of 127.73. On the other hand, Lasith has also limited experience when it comes to international cricket. But in T20s, he has a strike rate of 136.45.At no. 3, Sri Lanka can trust Ashen Bandara. The 27-year-old has played 6 T20Is so far, scoring 97 runs. But again, in domestic tournaments, he has maintained a strike rate of 121.06.Middle Order - Niroshan Dickwella, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan HemanthaIn the middle-order, Sri Lanka’s most experienced batter in the Asian Games lineup, Niroshan Dickwella will take charge. In 28 T20Is, he has scored 480 runs at a strike rate of 131. Moreover, in T20s, he has scored over 3300 runs with a strike rate of around 144.At no. 5, captain Sahan Arachchige will likely walk out to bat. Sahan has played only a single T20I in his career, yet he has been trusted with the leadership role for Asian Games 2026. But he is an all-rounder with over 1500 runs and 60 wickets in T20s. Hence, Sri Lanka will get great flexibility in the middle-order. After Sahan, Chamika Karunaratne will bat in the middle-order. Interestingly, Karunaratne has played 45 T20Is for Sri Lanka, scoring 308 runs and picking up 24 wickets.Dushan Hemantha is another all-rounder who will add depth to Lanka’s batting lineup. He is more of a bowling all-rounder with 96 wickets in T20s. In international cricket, he has played 8 T20Is, scoring 29 runs while taking 10 wickets.Hemantha is someone who can score valuable runs in the death overs with his power-hitting skills. His skills will be crucial in case Sri Lanka face a collapse.Bowlers - Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan ThusharaAnother bowling all-rounder, Wanuja Sahan could make his debut in the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against India. In T20s, he has 35 wickets to his name along with 204 runs with the bat. Despite limited experience, he can contribute in the lower order and also bowl a full quota of overs. In the bowling attack, Binura Fernando and Nuwan Thushara will be lead pacers.Previously, Fernando has scalped 24 wickets in 25 T20Is played, while Thushara has 36 wickets to his name in 31 T20Is played. But Nuwan will be a key factor as he is used to facing Indian batters in the IPL.Also, in the spin department, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth will take the lead. He is also inexperienced, with only 2 T20Is played so far. But he is an emerging talent with 88 wickets in T20s.Sri Lanka Playing XI vs India - Asian Games 2026, Semi-Final 2Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Ashen Bandara, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Sahan Arachchige (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan ThusharaAlso Read - John Campbell Slams Fastest ODI Century By A West Indian Vs India, Creates World Record
