SL vs AFG World T20 Preview: Defending champions take on spirited Afghanistan

Defending champions Sri Lanka will take on Afghanistan at Kolkata to begin their World T20 title defence. A lot of things have changed for the Lankans since their title win in 2014. The match, though expected to be won by Sri Lanka, will be a keenly contested game. It will be a clash between two contrasting teams. On one side, there is a spirited Afghanistan team, who have won 9 of their last 10 matches whereas, on the other side, there is Sri Lanka, who have failed to impress in the Asia Cup and have also suffered a series defeat to India prior to it. The last time these two teams met in an international match was in ICC World Cup 2015 where Afghanistan came very close to beating the Island nation.

Afghanistan

The Afghanistan team failed to make it to the main draw of the Asia Cup, but thoroughly impressed with their performances in the Qualifiers of this edition of World T20 and made it to the tournament-proper. Afghanistan looks settled having registered comprehensive wins over Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. Skipper Asghar Stanikzai has marshalled his troops well and the Afghan top-order looks dominating with Mohammad Shahzad looking in great touch.

Gulbadin Naib, Samiullah Shenwari and the skipper himself in the middle-order have got starts in the tournament and are due for a big one. The bowling unit has been clicked well. Mohammad Nabi, the all-rounder, has been the standout performer with both bat and ball. Nabi has been spot on with his off-spinners, providing great support to young Rashid Khan’s leg breaks. The return of Hamid Hassan also bolsters the bowling attack.

Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan team have been struggling to get the right combination. Having lost a series to India 2-1 and a disappointing Asia Cup, where they lost to Bangladesh and Pakistan, nothing has looked right for Sri Lanka. The young bowlers showed a lot of promise but their performances have been sporadic. Dushmantha Chameera and Rangana Herath seem to be the only bowlers who have been consistent.

With Eden Gardens assisting spin to an extent, Herath will be expected to play a big role. Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan will have to shoulder more responsibility if the Lankans wish to overhaul the Afghan spirit. What goes in Sri Lanka’s favour is the fact that Lankans have often come up with better performances in major ICC events. The match might well be the ‘come-back-to-form’ game for Sri Lanka.

Pitch and Conditions

The Eden Gardens will be the host to this Group A encounter and promises to give a run feast. The match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the same venue saw Pakistan score in excess of 200 runs. However, it is being predicted that the wicket will be on the slower side and have something in for the spinners.

The temperatures will be around 25 degrees with humidity on the rise. The dew factor will come into play but the extra bounce at the wicket might still prompt the captain to win the toss and bat first. There are no rain threats.

Form Guide: (Most recent first)

Afghanistan: WWWWW

Sri Lanka: LLLWL

Probable XI

Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (WK), Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai (C), Mohammad Nabi, GulbadinNaib, Shafiqullah, Samiullah Shenwari, Najibullah Zadran, Dawlat Zadran, Rashid Khan, Hamid Hassan/Amir Hamza

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Angelo Mathews (C), Chamara Kapugedera, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Dushmantha Chameera

Stats

1. Mohammad Shahzad, with 1287 runs, is the only batsman from non-test playing nation to score more than 1000 T20I runs.
2. TillakaratneDilshan has 1751 runs under his belt, the highest by any Sri Lankan batsman.
3. This match will be the first time that these two teams will clash in a T20I match.
4. Afghanistan have been on a winning spree, winning 9 out of 10 matches. On the other hand, Sri Lanka have managed to win just 2 matches of their last 10 matches.
5. Sri Lanka has won only three of their last 16 completed international games.