On Tuesday, the 32nd match of the ongoing T20 World Cup will see Sri Lanka take on Afghanistan in Brisbane. The match will commence at 9.30 AM IST.
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Sri Lanka
After registering a comprehensive win over Ireland in their first game, Sri Lanka lost their way, being hammered by Australia and New Zealand in the next two matches. Those two crushing defeats have dented their confidence as they will look to rise again against Afghanistan.Â
The Lankan bowlers did give a fight, but the batters let them down against Australia and New Zealand. However, they must evolve their fielding, as dropping Glenn Phillips multiple times proved costly in the last match. The Lankan think tank would also want some consistency from crucial players like Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka and Lahiru Kumara.
Afghanistan
There is not much to talk about Afghanistan as two of their three games have been abandoned due to rain. In the first game, they did give England a run for their money, taking the match to the 19th over while defending a paltry 112. However, their batting, which collapsed on the bouncy Perth pitch, needs to show some resilience.
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Ibrahim Zadran and Usman Ghani showed some resistance, without getting much support from other players. So, experienced campaigners like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi must step up, as it’s a do-or-die encounter for them.
Match Details
Match: Sri Lanka v Afghaniatan (32nd match)
Tournament: ICC T20 World Cup 2022
Venue: Gabba, Brisbane
Date & Time: 1st November, 9:30 AM IST
Head-to-Head
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have clashed in three T20Is, with Sri Lanka winning twice and Afghanistan winning one match, which was in the recently concluded Asia Cup.
Pitch Report
The surface at the Gabba has historically gotten better as the match progresses. The team bowling first will definitely get an edge in the contest as the new ball does move around a bit in the early part of the innings. The team winning the toss would be inclined to bowl first at this venue.
Probable Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne, Dasun Shanka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
Probable Winners
Sri Lanka will start as favourites but these two teams are equally balanced, If Afghanistan plays to their potential, they might well end up winning this encounter.
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