Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: With a 10-wicket victory, Sri Lanka has performed admirably in the Test match. They’ll try to capitalise on this momentum to get the three-match ODI series off to a fast start. After their terrible World Cup performance, this is the team’s first ODI series, and they’ll be trying to regain lost prestige. The Afghans will aim to perform well and move behind their defeat in the Test match.
Sri Lankans will need to play to their strengths in this match because they haven’t had much luck in ODI cricket in recent years. The Afghans have a potent top order and a potent bowling threat. The teams are evenly matched, so we anticipate a competitive game that will come down to the wire.
The 1st ODI match between Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan will take place on February 9th, 2024, at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Match Details to Note:
Match: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI match
Date: February 9th, 2024 (Friday)
Time: 08:00 PM IST
Venue: R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
Sri Lanka (Match Odds- 1.40)
Preview
Kusal Mendis wants to capitalise on the team’s victory in the Test match momentum. Mendis wants to move past their recent struggles in ODI cricket, which have been difficult. The Sri Lankan captain will try to take advantage of the home crowd and start the series on the high note after the Afghans caused them problems in prior games.
Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando hold important roles at the top, and the team anticipates that they will perform well. Mendis’s goal is to do well in the middle order and form alliances with Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama. Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne are both strong hitters, therefore the team will count on them to score runs quickly.
Early wickets will be crucial to the team’s success, therefore Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka must put up a strong performance with the new ball. The team is much better off with Wanindu Hasaranga back, who will hope to perform well in the middle overs alongside Maheesh Theekshana. In the supporting roles, Dunith Wellalage and Chameera will aim to perform effectively.
Full Squad:
Kusal Mendis (c), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Akila Dananjaya, Wanindu Hasaranga
Players to watch out for:
Pathum Nissanka
Pathum Nissanka hold important role at the top order and the team anticipates that he will perform well.
Dushmantha Chameera
Dushmantha Chameera must put up a strong performance with the new ball because early wickets will be crucial to the team’s success.
Possible Playing XI:
Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Avishka Fernando
Afghanistan (Match Odds- 2.95)
Preview
The team led by Hashmatullah Shahidi will try to get past the defeat in the Test match. Having defeated Sri Lanka in the World Cup, the Afghan captain hopes that his team would draw motivation from that victory. Playing aggressively against the Sri Lankan spinners is what Shahidi wants his batsmen to do.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, the openers, are playing well and will try to get off to a solid start. The team has a solid middle order, and Rahmat Shah, Shahidi, and Raiz Hassan should all put in strong performances. Strong hitters like Gulbadin Naib and Muhammad Nabi support the batting order.
The team will be hoping for strong performances from Mujeeb ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who have performed well in previous games, with the new ball. The loss of Rashid Khan is significant, and Qais Ahmed needs to do well against Nabi in the middle overs. Rahmat Shah and Gulbadin Naib will aim to perform well in the supporting roles.
Full Squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad
Players to watch out for:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is playing well and will try to get off to a solid start.
Mujeeb ur Rahman
The team will be hoping for strong performances from Mujeeb ur Rahman. He has performed well in previous games, with the new ball. The loss of Rashid Khan also puts more responsibilities on his shoulders.
Possible Playing XI:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mujib ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmed, Gulbadin Naib, Raiz Hassan, Qais Ahmed
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Toss Prediction:
The surface is slow in the second half, but it’s a decent wicket to bat on at the beginning. In the second innings, it will be challenging to bat against the spinners. The team that wins the toss would try to bat first in order to capitalise on the circumstances.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Pitch Report:
Pallekele would have clear skies, and we would anticipate favourable weather. This wicket has yielded many runs in the past because batsmen can freely play their strokes. In this match, the team batting first would need to score more than 300 runs in order to successfully defend the total.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Match Report:
The Afghans’ record versus the Sri Lankans is not good. Rashid Khan’s absence is a significant blow for the squad, and they will need to make up for it with a strong batting lineup. The Sri Lankan bowling assault is potent, and their players are accustomed to the pitch. Though we anticipate a competitive contest, the Sri Lankans will be the early favourites.
Sri Lanka is the clear to win the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match at the odds of 1.40.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Most Recommended Player for Bet:
Pathum Nissanka hold important role at the top order and the team anticipates that he will perform well.
