Asia Cup 2025: Why are Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara not playing in SL vs PAK Super 4 match?

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are playing an important Super Fours fixture in the Asia Cup 2025, as it is a must-win fixture for both teams to stay in contention for the qualification of the Final.

In the match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (September 23), Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to field first after winning the toss at Abu Dhabi. Both teams suffered defeat in their first Super Fours game, as Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets with one ball remaining and India outclased Pakistan by six wickets with seven balls remaining. So, a defeat on Tuesday night will make the qualification for the Final the toughest, as nothing will remain in the losing team’s hand, while a victory will push them in the battle for the qualification for the Final.

WATCH: Shaheen Afridi strikes in the second ball during SL vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match 

Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara dropped from Sri Lankan squad

Sri Lanka made two important changes in the playing XI for the match against Pakistan. Chamika Karunaratne and Maheesh Theekshana have been included in the playing XI, while Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara have been dropped. Both changes were tactical decisions from the Lankan side. 

Dunith recently lost his father, as he returned home to pay his last respects to his late father. But then he returned to the team and played their previous Super Fours fixture against Bangladesh on the same night, last Saturday. 

On the other hand, Kamil Mishara won the Player of the Match award for Sri Lanka in their tournament opener against Bangladesh in the group stage. But after that match, his form drastically dropped as he failed to reach the 20-run mark in last three innings. 

In the Asia Cup 2025, Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Fours as the Group B champions, as they won all three matches against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong, to finish the group stage with six points. Meanwhile, Pakistan were the Group A runners-up, where they lost against India, but defeated Oman and the hosts United Arab Emirates. 

Sri Lanka won last five T20Is against Pakistan

Sri Lanka have won the last five T20Is against Pakistan since 2019, while before that Pakistan claimed six consecutive wins against Sri Lanka in this format. While it is the T20 Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are the defending champions, as they defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the Final to win the T20 Asia Cup 2022 title.