World Cup 2019: Sri Lanka can't copy teams like India, says Karunaratne

"We have to work within those limitations. We have to compete, but we can’t copy India. We have our own rhythm", said Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne.

Published : Jun 14, 2019 17:48 IST , London

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (C) celebrates the run out of Najibullah Zadran of Afghanistan during a World Cup 2019 match.
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (C) celebrates the run out of Najibullah Zadran of Afghanistan during a World Cup 2019 match.
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Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (C) celebrates the run out of Najibullah Zadran of Afghanistan during a World Cup 2019 match.

Sri Lanka will have to work within its limitations and can’t "copy" a team like India in its pursuit for a knockout berth at the World Cup, said skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.

“We are a team with limited talent. If you compare us with a lot of other sides, we have major limitations. For example, the India side has someone who hits a hundred virtually in every match. In our team, we’ve only had one or two centurions all year,” Karunaratne was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo .

“Their openers can hit the big shots any time they want. They can defend any time they want. They've faced every bowler there is to face, either in internationals or the IPL, and they’ve got all that knowledge and experience,” he said.

Karunaratne also said that his fast bowlers cannot be compared with the Indians.

READ | World Cup 2019: Desperate Sri Lanka faces Australia storm

“They’ve got fast bowlers that go at over 140kph. We don’t have that luxury - we’re 130, 135kph. So we have to work within those limitations. We have to compete, but we can’t copy India. We have our own rhythm. If we play smart, we can beat anyone.”

Despite just one win from four games, Sri Lanka is currently placed fifth spot in the points table , courtesy two washed out matches from which it shared points with Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Sri Lanka faces defending champion Australia in London on Saturday.

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