Except for the current Asia Cup opening, Sri Lanka has only lost one of three T20Is against Afghanistan. Hasaranga is still the top wicket-taker in the competition with 10 dismissals from six games, despite having only one wicket in the past two games. His economic rate is 7.08.
These sides are evenly matched if their Asia Cup matches are any indication. Here’s a short rundown of what occurred around two months ago: In the group stage, Sri Lanka was easily defeated by Afghanistan as their quicks went through the Sri Lankan batting order to have them 105 all out. In the following game, the Super 4s, Sri Lanka easily pursued 176 in Sharjah, setting a new record for the venue.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan might washout
Both campaigns are in serious trouble when they enter this encounter. Australia and New Zealand recently humiliated Sri Lanka twice in a row. After being defeated by England earlier, Afghanistan has had two matches called off due to weather. The losers here will be eliminated from semi-final contention.
However, it also appears like there is a potential that this game will be another washout, which doesn’t exactly ruin both teams’ prospects of making the semis, but may, depending on other outcomes (an especially cruel fate for Afghanistan, who have only lost one match so far).
Afghanistan will target Sri Lanka’s batting order once play begins since it has previously been weak. With a tournament-high 180 runs from six innings and a strike rate of 157, opener Kusal Mendis is the crucial batsman in the top order. Even Pathum Nissanka, who has scored 137 runs but with a strike rate of just 97, hasn’t impressed.
Against England, who bowled them for 112, Afghanistan’s own batting struggled to get going. Wanindu Hasaranga hasn’t been quite at his lethal best during the last couple of games, and Sri Lanka’s pace attack is decimated, so Afghanistan will be hoping for a stronger performance in Brisbane.
Sri Lanka’s fielding an issue
To put it mildly, Sri Lanka’s fielding has been terrible this tournament. Which is something of a change from their stellar efforts in September, which helped them win the Asia Cup. In Geelong and Hobart, they didn’t enjoy the cold. On a bright Sydney day, though, they had no such defense, and it’s possible that Nissanka’s decision to bench Glenn Phillips lost them the game. They have collectively missed eight catches and have throughout the competition displayed poor ground-fielding technique. They already have a difficult route to a semi-final, so they can’t afford any blunders.
Pitch and Weather Report
If the rain holds off long enough for a game, the afternoon will undoubtedly include The Gabba’s signature bounce and swing. According to some projections, rain is likely to fall with a 90% likelihood.
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