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ToggleThe SL vs AFG-only Test will be played in Colombo from January 2-6. The match starts at 10 am IST. This is the first time both these teams will play a Test match against each other. Sri Lanka will play a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match T20I series after the one-off test. The series concludes with the final T20I on January 21.
Afghanistan has been on the rise as an international team since the World Cup. They won four games and defeated teams including their match against Sri Lanka. They defeated England, Pakistan, and the Netherlands along with Sri Lanka in the campaign. Thus the white-ball series against Sri Lanka is expected to be a closely fought contest.
Afghanistan will be led by Hasmatullah Shahidi who returns to lead the side in the toughest format after the T20I series against India. Rashid Khan who is recovering from his lower back injury will continue to remain out of the side. The overall squad is a pretty inexperienced squad with a few newcomers.
Afghanistan have named a 16-men squad for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka. Afghanistan have handed maiden call-ups to right-arm quick Naveed Zadran and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq. Uncapped batter Noor Ali Zadran and left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman were also named in the squad.
Sri Lanka will be led by their new Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva. After Sri Lanka’s forgetful performance in the World Cup, the board changed its leadership across formats. De Silva was named the new Test skipper Kusal Mendis the new ODI skipper Wanindu Hasaranga was the new T20I skipper.
They have plenty of experience on the side with the return of veterans Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando, and Prabath Jayasuriya have been named as specialist bowlers in the side.
Afghanistan have become a dominant white-ball side with time. However, they have yet to establish themselves as a Test nation. The squad named is almost a fresh squad with none of the regular players who play white-ball cricket as part of the Test side. Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran the two batters with good techniques will need to bat to the best of their ability.
The Lankan bowlers playing at home will make conditions as difficult as possible for the visitors who have played seven Test matches in total. The Lankans recently played a series against Zimbabwe. They played their last Test series against Pakistan in July 2023. They are yet to get points on board for the WTC 2023-25 cycle.
SL vs AFG Head To Head Records (Overall Stats)
| Format | Test | ODI | T20I |
| Matches Played | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| SL Won | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| AFG Won | 0 | 4 | 1 |
SL vs AFG Head To Head Records In Tests
| Matches Played | 0 |
| Afghanistan Won | 0 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 0 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Drawn | 0 |
| Afghanistan Win % | 0 |
| Sri Lanka Win % | 0 |
| Draw % | 0 |
| First Played On | – |
| Last played On | – |
SL vs AFG Head To Head Records In ODIs
| Matches Played | 12 |
| Afghanistan Won | 4 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 7 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 1 |
| Afghanistan Win % | 33.33% |
| Sri Lanka Win % | 58.33% |
| First Played On | 2014 |
| Last played On | 2023 |
SL vs AFG Head To Head Records In T20Is
| Matches Played | 4 |
| Afghanistan Won | 1 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 3 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
| Afghanistan Win % | 25 |
| Sri Lanka Win % | 75 |
| First Played On | 2016 |
| Last played On | 2022 |
SL vs AFG Head-to-Head Records in Tests- Only Test, 2024
Both teams are yet to play a Test match against each other hence relevant records are not available at the moment.
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