🏏Asia 🏆Cup 2022 Super Four -Match 1 : Sri Lanka v/s Afghanistan 🏏 - Page 2

Thanks for the tag Madhu.🤗

May the best team win.

Cheers..

Thank you for the tag di🤗

Go Afghanistan go, tumko hum final mein harayenge🤣

Who won yesterday??

What to expect: Spin played a major role in the previous game in Sharjah and it could continue to do so for the Super 4 opener. With both teams having quality slow bowlers in their sides, it will come down to how well the batters handle them. Barring India's win against Hong Kong, teams batting second have emerged victorious so far in the Asia Cup, which makes it an obvious choice for the captain winning the toss.

Originally posted by: Rani_Sahiba

Thank you for the tag di🤗

Go Afghanistan go, tumko hum final mein harayenge🤣

Who won yesterday??

Pak. HK all out 38

Originally posted by: Rani_Sahiba

Thank you for the tag di🤗

Go Afghanistan go, tumko hum final mein harayenge🤣

Who won yesterday??

Head to head: Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have only faced each other twice in T20Is, with both registering a win apiece.

On a batting friendly wicket in Dubai, Kusal Mendis's 37-ball 60, Dasun Shanaka's 33-ball 45 and cameos from the lower order helped Sri Lanka prevail. But they still have issues with their batting which they'll be hoping to address quickly. Looking at the stats since 2021, Sri Lanka have the second lowest scoring rate (6.64) in the powerplay and they have also lost the second most number of wickets (59) in the first six overs. Sri Lanka have also gone in with 11 different opening combinations and nine openers in the said period, with only Mendis having a strike rate in excess of 125. While Mendis and Shanaka have made key contributions, Sri Lanka will be hoping for the rest of their batters to step up.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, have been well served by their top order and Najibullah Zadran has led the way with consistency and dynamic batting at 4/5. Since 2020, Najibullah has scored 614 runs at an average of 40.93 and a strike rate of 151.6, with five fifties. With Ibrahim Zadran assigned the anchor's role and the rest having the liberty to play a positive brand of cricket, Afghanistan have a settled batting line-up to take on Sri Lanka's relatively inexperienced pace attack. Afghanistan will also take confidence from their opening night win over the same opposition. They absolutely hammered Sri Lanka that night bowling them out for just 105 and then proceeding to chase that target down inside 11 overs. Sri Lanka's campaign was hanging in the balance post that defeat, from which they managed to recover. But now that they get another crack at Afghanistan, will they redeem themselves?

Team watch

Sri Lanka:

Injury/Availability Concerns: The hosts of the tournament haven't reported any injury concerns and might stick to the eleven that took them into the Super 4s.

Tactics and match-ups: In the absence of their two key pacemen - Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara - Sri Lanka's pace department will be tested. Sri Lanka will look to Dilshan Madushanka and Chamika Karunaratne to showcase the same kind of discipline they bowled with against Bangladesh.

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

Afghanistan:

Injury/Availability Concerns: Afghanistan have also not had any issues with their personnel and are likely to go with the same combination that won them the last two games.

Tactics and match-ups: Mujeeb ur Rahman and skipper Mohammad Nabi are likely to bowl the bulk of the overs after the powerplay considering the left-hand heavy Sri Lankan batting order.

Probable XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi.