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ToggleSri Lanka will eye a series victory when they clash with Afghanistan in the 2nd T20I of the ongoing series. SL vs AFG 2nd T20I takes place on Monday, February 19 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
Led by Wanindu Hasaranga in the SL vs AFG T20I series, the hosts won the opening game by 4 runs. However, it was a close-fought encounter where Sri Lanka won the match in the final over. They completely failed to come up with a good show while batting. Afghanistan bundled out Sri Lanka for just 160 runs in 19 overs.
For Sri Lanka, key batters like Pathum Nissanka (10), Kusal Mendis (10), and Charith Asalanka (3) got out cheaply in 1st innings. At one stage, Sri Lanka railed at 55-4. However, skipper Wanindu Hasarange showed his prowess with the bat to slam 67 runs. As a result, the home team reached a respectable total of 160-10.
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While Afghanistan showed a memorable bowling show in SL vs AFG 1st T20I, they failed to fire with the bat. Opener and skipper Ibrahim Zadran was the only batter to come up with a good knock of 67 runs. Other batters failed to cross the 20-run mark.
Afghanistan lost 9 wickets towards the end but Zadran kept winning hopes alive. He remained not out till the end after starting as an opener. However, despite being unbeaten, he could not drive the team to victory in the final over when the team needed only 11 runs for victory.
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ILT20 2024 Final Weather Report
SL vs AFG weather report, according to weather.com, suggests that the temperature of Dambulla City on Monday, February 19 will be 33° Celcius during the day and fall to 23° Celcius at night. The sky will be clear throughout the day and night. The chances of rain are 2% during the day and 4% at night. The humidity will be 54% during the day and rise to 93% at night.
Pitch Analysis
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium looks like an average-scoring ground in T20Is. The average 1st innings total is 140 while the average 2nd innings is 132. The stadium has hosted 4 T20Is out of which, the team batting first won 2 games while the team batting second won 2 matches.
The highest-ever total at the stadium stands at 160, which Sri Lanka piled up in the previous encounter against Afghanistan. Hence, the SL vs AFG 2nd T20I is also expected to witness totals between 150-170.
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Weather Impact on SL vs AFG 2nd T20I
The weather in Dambulla City will be sunny and there is just a 2-4 % chance of rain throughout the day. Hence, rains will not affect SL vs AFG 2nd T20I. The humidity will be high at 93% at night.
The temperature will be high at 33° Celcius during the day but will cool down to 23° Celcius at night. Since the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 2nd T20I takes place at night, players will have respite from the warm temperature.
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Conclusion
Sri Lanka is close to India and shares a similar season pattern. The rainy season commences in June after the arrival of the Monsoon. Hence, there is no chance of rain now. Hence, the SL vs AFG 2nd T20I match will not be affected by rain and DLS will not come into effect.
Although Sri Lanka pitches are considered spin-friendly, the opening T20I game witnessed pacers stealing the stage. After the opening game, the pitch might turn slow in the 2nd encounter. Afghan players also hail from the Asian sub-continent. Hence, they are acquainted with the weather conditions in Sri Lanka.
