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Resurgent Sri Lanka meet a T20-arsenal in Afghanistan

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Last updated on 02 Sep 2022 | 12:48 PM
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Resurgent Sri Lanka meet a T20-arsenal in Afghanistan

It kicks off an interesting round of Super Four in this year’s Asia Cup

We are back to where we started. The two sides that kicked off this competition will be back against each other for the second time. While Afghanistan walk into this encounter unbeaten, their opponent, Sri Lanka will be much more confident this time around after their stunning win against Bangladesh.

Afghanistan play a T20 template that is exciting. While at one point in the yesteryears, they were a bowling attack pervaded with spinners, in 2022, they have a bowling attack that is a dream. A left-arm pacer, two seamers, three spinners who can bowl across phases with six bowling options, Afghanistan possess everything. With the bat, Mohammad Nabi’s side is nearly flawless.

But the same can’t be said about their Saturday opponents, Sri Lanka.

The Islanders have shown the same vulnerability in both contests thus far. Their bowling has blown extremely cold in the two encounters. And with not a lot of options on the bench that could bolster it, Dasun Shanaka would want everyone to rally around with their A game.

A decade ago, Afghanistan turning out as favourites against a Test-playing nation would have been a shocker. But in Sharjah, will they continue to be the dominant force?

Sri Lanka’s crumbling top-order

Barring Kusal Mendis (60), no other top-order batter across both the innings have crossed the 30-run mark. That is exactly where Sri Lankan cricket stands. Their top-order have struggled to put on a show, forcing the middle-order and the lower-order to pull off a heroic against Bangladesh on September 1 (Thursday) night.

While they might have qualified, they have plenty of headaches. Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have all struggled. Sri Lanka’s top-order averages 14.3 in the competition, the lowest. Whilst their openers are right-handers, a plethora of left-handers in the middle-order makes this batting line-up extremely one-dimensional, one way or the other.

Gunathilaka might be the one that could likely sit out. Bringing in someone like Dhananjaya de Silva might be a change that could be a possibility. Not only does de Silva offer solidity in the middle-order but also can be the sixth bowling option that the Islanders could benefit from.

Afghanistan’s crash-bang-wallop batting approach

If you had to place these two teams on the same scale, they would be on either extreme. If Sri Lanka have a top-order that is struggling, Afghanistan have a batting unit that has really set things on fire in the Middle East. Whilst you will not find the likes of Hazratullah Zazai or Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the run-scoring charts, Nabi’s team possesses one of the best batting units in the competition.

But there is a catch.

Both of Afghanistan’s wins have come in run-chases. In both encounters, Nabi’s men have reduced the opposition to 130. However, during their run-chase against Bangladesh, at 62/3 in 13 overs, they were tested. That is when Najibullah Zadran brought out the long levers, scoring 43 off just 17 balls, tonking six sixes. Afghanistan’s batting have breezed past opponents thus far in the tournament.

Can Sri Lanka provide them with a stern test?

The battle of two spin attacks

Wanindu Hasaranga, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Maheesh Theekshana and Mohammad Nabi, it is an exciting contest between two of the world’s best spin attacks. The venue – Sharjah – also is perhaps the most spin-friendly of the venues in the Middle East, with eight of the nine wickets here picked by spinners.


Afghanistan have bowled the most overs of spin in the tournament thus far (23), with 10 wickets as a result of them trapping the opponents with their spin web. Sri Lanka are the second-best, with four wickets but their spinners have not yet put on a convincing display. Theekshana has picked up one wicket thus far, Hasaranga has picked up three wickets.

On the other hand, Afghanistan’s spinners have been flawless. The spin attack averages 11.1, concedes just 4.8 RPO, picks up a wicket every 13.8 balls. That is just THREATENING. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been the wrecker-in-chief, with five wickets, at an average of eight. While Rashid hasn't come to the fore, countering Afghanistan’s spin attack will be one of the biggest tasks for the Island nation.

Team Combination and Playing XI

Expect no change in Afghanistan’s winning formula, with the management set to play the same side for the third time in a row in this competition

Afghanistan 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

Unlike Afghanistan, Sri Lanka have not played flawless cricket. Their top-order barring Kusal Mendis have been scratchy. The middle-order thus far have been non-existent, making things tough for Chris Silverwood. While Asitha Fernando had a tough night, conceding 51 runs, expect the right-hander to hold his place due to his batting heroics. On the other hand, Gunathilaka’s place might be in the firing line.

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva/ Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka

*All stats updated prior to Pakistan’s clash against Hong Kong

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