The next match of the T20 World Cup tournament is being held on 1st November at the Gabba, Brisbane. However, in this match the Afghanistan team will be locking horns against Sri Lanka.
Team of Afghanistan
Till now, the team managed to successfully complete a single match of the tournament, against the team of England. And their following matches which were scheduled against New Zealand and Ireland were called off as a result of poor weather conditions. Though the team didn’t get enough opportunities to showcase their performances in the T20 World Cup.
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But they are said to possess strong batting options. As per reports, Ibrahim Zadran came out as the highest scorer in their previous face-off, by registering 32 runs to his name on the same balls. Usman Ghani was the other batsman who scored 30 runs and smashed three boundaries during his inning. Also, Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed to score 10 runs, and Najibullah was successful in registering 13 runs to his name.
Moreover, they are said to have experienced bowlers playing for them. Among their bowling unit, Rashid Khan proved as the most economical bowler, who managed to pick one wicket in four against 17 runs. And Mujeeb Ur Rahman also picked one wicket while he was charged with 22 runs in four overs. Along with them, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, and the skipper, Mohammad Nabi also picked one wicket each.
Afghanistan Playing XI
Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (Captain of the team), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Team of Sri Lanka
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On the other hand, the Sri Lankan team seems to be out of form in the final rounds. After their stunning performances at the qualifier battle, everyone had high expectations from the team. But the team was recently defeated in back-to-back two matches. Not long ago, the team lost another battle with New Zealand. And, though the bowling unit managed to provide a great beginning, but later on failed to retain their form. As a result, they were able to leak around 167 runs in 20 overs.
Furthermore, their batting options struggled to present their potential in the last battle. Out of their batsmen, Dasun Shanaka has been reported as the highest run-scorer, registering 35 runs in 32 deliveries, with the help of four boundaries and one huge six. Bhanuka Rajapaksa also performed well and scored 32 runs on 22 balls.
Sri Lanka Playing XI
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (Captain of the team), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha.
Past Records Between the Two
According to reports, Afghanistan had played three matches against Sri Lanka, where they won only one match, whereas Sri Lanka managed to register two victories against Afghanistan.
Predicted Speculations
Based on past records, Sri Lanka has achieved a greater number of victories in their face-offs against Afghanistan. On the other hand, the recent performances of Afghanistan proved to be stronger with excellent hitters by their side.
Considering the recent performances of the tournament, Afghanistan is likely to win the match against Sri Lanka. However, the Sri Lanka team is expected to bounce back after their “not up to the mark” results. With one experienced and a strong team facing each other, it is quite difficult to make any assumptions at the moment.
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