Australia take on Sri Lanka in the 14th match of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup on Monday, October 16, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Both teams enter this match with two defeats in two matches and are placed at the very bottom of the table.
Very few people would've thought Australia would be at the bottom of the points table 13 matches into the tournament. But after Afghanistan's incredible win against England, that's where the five-time champions find themselves.
They'll still back themselves to make the semifinals once they get into form, and they'll desperately want to win and win big in this match to gain some momentum.
As for Sri Lanka, they've batted pretty well in both of their matches, crossing the 300-run mark both times. However, it's their bowling that hasn't quite been up to the mark.
With captain Dasun Shanaka ruled out of the tournament, Kusal Mendis will lead Sri Lanka now, and it'll be interesting to see what the additional responsibility will do to his batting form. With Matheesha Pathirana also out injured, Sri Lanka do find themselves in a spot of bother going into this match.
Let's now look at three Dream11 differentials for this match.
#3 Josh Inglis (AUS)
Australia looks set to back Josh Inglis as their wicket-keeper for the near future after Alex Carey couldn't quite make the most of his extended run in ODI cricket. Inglis is a talented and attacking keeper-batter, but he hasn't quite been able to crack it in ODIs so far.
However, if Australia gets his entry point in the innings right, he could prove to be a devastating batter for opponents. Being a wicket-keeper, he has the opportunity to get some additional points from behind the stumps. His ownership is understandably very low, but Inglis has it in him to emerge as a value pick on Dream11.
#2 Marnus Labuschagne (AUS)
Australia are undoubtedly the favorites for this match despite their recent defeats, and their batters have received plenty of backing. However, Marnus Labuschagne, batting at No. 4, doesn't have as much ownership as the rest of the Aussie batters, and that's an opportunity for Dream11 managers to seize upon.
Marnus has been in terrific form in ODI cricket throughout the year. In fact, he is the only batter who managed to stick around at the crease long enough to score some runs against South Africa.
He played some attractive knocks in the three-match ODI series against India too, and with Australia wanting to display all their batting might in this match, Marnus should be at the forefront of it all.
While his ownership (mid-30s %) may not be low enough to call him a proper differential, he could and should be considered a differential captaincy option for this match.
#1 Chamika Karunaratne (SL)
With SL captain Dasun Shanaka out of the World Cup with a thigh injury, Chamika Karunaratne has been drafted into the squad as his replacement, and he looks set to take Shanaka's spot in the side.
Karunaratne has been a very unlucky player as his performances in international cricket have warranted selection. It's mind-boggling why he hasn't played more matches in quite a while.
He's a quality bowling all-rounder who has scored runs at a solid average of 27.6 and picked up 24 wickets in 21 matches. He's not the quickest of bowlers but is a bonafide wicket-taker, and his bowling should work well on a slightly two-paced wicket like the one in Lucknow.
His ownership is very low, and he could be a valuable Dream11 differential pick.
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