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ToggleThe SL vs AFG series continues with a three-match T20I series after Sri Lanka whitewashed Afghanistan in the ODI series. The Lankans whitewashed the Afghans in the ODI series in Pallekele. Heading into this T20I series, the Lankans are placed eighth in the T20I rankings while Afghanistan is tenth.
Date and Venue
The SL vs AFG first T20I will be played in Dambulla on Saturday, February 17. The match starts at 7 pm IST. All three matches will be played in Dambulla with the second T20I on February 19 and the third on February 21.
Team Analysis- SL vs AFG Match Preview- 1st T20I, 2024
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka are heading into this series after beating Afghanistan handsomely in the Test and ODI series. They won the one-off Test by 10 wickets and earned biog victories in the three ODIs. Sri Lanka won the first ODI by 42 runs, second by 155 runs, and third by seven wickets.
Wanindu Hasaranga will lead the Lankans in the T20I series. He won his first series as T20I captain against ZImbabwe but not before the African nation tested them to the limits. Against Afghanistan, they will look to have a more dominant performance.
Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are placed second and third in the ICC T20I bowlers rankings. Both will have a big role to play against Afghanistan. Alongside Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka will have a big role to play with the bat. Nissanka scored 346 runs in the three-match ODI series and will look to continue his form going.
Sri Lanka Squad
Wanindu Hasaranga (C), Charith Asalanka (VC), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando
Afghanistan
Afghanistan are yet to win a single match in this series so far. Their performance has continuously fallen with every defeat. In five SL vs AFG T20Is, Afghanistan have won two and lost three.
One big absence from the team is Rashid Khan who is still recovering from his lower-back surgery that is keeping him away from the game since the ODI World Cup last year. Afghanistan won four games in the last World Cup including the game against Sri Lanka.
Ibrahim Zadran will continue to be the stand-in skipper for the side. He will have a role with the bat. Alongside him, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi will have a key role to play with the ball. With the ball, in the absence of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad will be the key bowlers for Afghanistan.
Key Battles
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Wanindu Hasaranga
The Gurbaz vs Hasaranga is one of the most important battles in the SL vs AFG T20I. So far the leggie has dismissed the Afghan keeper-batter once each in ODIs and T20Is. He has dismissed Gurbaz one each in ODIs and T20Is as well. Given that Gurbaz needs to score quick runs for his team, the hosts will look to dismiss him early and Hasaranga will be the ideal match-up against him.
Pathum Nissanka vs Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Another important battle will be between Nissanka and Mujeeb. The Lankan batter is in red-hot form and the Afghanistnspinner in the absence of Rashid Khan will be the prime wicket-taking option. Mujeeb has dismissed Nissanka twice in T20Is so far and this face-off will be an interesting contest as well.
Key Players
For Afghanistan, Gurbaz and Ibrahim are the key players with the bat. The Afghan batters have let themselves down in the ODI series and hence need to up their game in the T20I series. They will need to give enough runs to their bowlers to win the contest.
With the ball, the spin twins, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are the key bowlers. Both teams will employ the spin to win formulae to win the game and the Afghans have their key weapons ready.
For Sri Lanka, Pthum Nissanka given his recent form will be key player with the bat. Charith Asalanka is the other as he can score quick runs in the final overs. Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana are the two key bowlers from Sri Lanka for this game.
Weather and Pitch
The weather prediction for the first SL vs AFG T20I is not a good one. There is a forecast of rain in Dambulla and the match is almost sure to be affected by rain. The temperature in the daytime will be around 30 degrees with almost a 25 percent chance of rain. The chance of rain drops to almost five percent in the evening but the match might have a delayed start due to wet outfield conditions.
The venue has hosted just three T20I games with two matches won by the team chasing. Hence this is a clear indication that a team chasing has a better chance of winning. The average first innings score is close to 150. With the batting firepower on both sides, we can expect a high-scoring contest.
Conclusion
The SL vs AFG T20I series hopefully dishes out a closely fought series after Afghanistan were whitewashed in the ODI series. The team has a few of the best short-format players and if they play to their potential, we can expect a cracking series. Despite the ODI series loss, Afghanistan can turn things around in the T20I series.
Also Read: SL vs AFG Head-to-Head Records in T20Is- 1st T20I, 2024
