Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Cricket World Cup 2023: Match Preview, Pitch Report, Head-to-Head, Weather Report

Afghanistan will take on Sri Lanka in Match 30 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on October 30 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India. The match will start at 02:00 PM IST. Afghanistan have won two of their five matches in the tournament so far, beating England and arch-rivals Pakistan. Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been their top batter in the tournament, scoring 224 runs in five matches. Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran have also notched more than 150 runs, each, in the World Cup 2023. With six wickets each, Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan are the top wicket-takers for the side.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have also won two of their five matches and are ahead of Afghanistan due to a superior net run rate. Their wins came against the Netherlands and reigning champions England. The trio of Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have been the batting stalwarts in the side, piling on 767 runs combined. Dilshan Madushanka, on the other hand, has been the best bowler with 11 wickets while Kasun Rajitha has snapped seven.

The two teams will consider this a must-win match to stake their claim for a potential semi-final berth.

AFG vs SL pitch report

The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium offers pitches of a slowish nature. While batters can pile on the runs with the ball coming easily onto the bat and a quick outfield, the spinners can make hay with the turn available. The average score in the first innings in the last 10 matches at the venue is 302.

Pace or spin?

Spin is the way to go at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. However, pacers too can enjoy success at the venue while bowling on fuller lengths.

AFG vs SL weather report

The temperature at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune is predicted to be 28.63 degrees Celsius and 33 per cent humidity.

AFG vs SL Dream11 Prediction: Top captain and vice-captain picks

Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has amassed 224 runs in five matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at an average of 44.8 and a strike rate of 101.36. He has smashed 2 half-centuries and has the top score of 80.

Sadeera Samarawickrama: Sri Lanka's Sadeera Samarawickrama has hit 295 runs in five matches and is the team's top run-getter this season. He strikes at a rate of 106.5 and averages 98.33. He also has two fifties and one ton to his name in this campaign.

Naveen-ul-Haq: The Afghanistan bowler scalped six wickets in five matches. Naveen-ul-Haq's best figures for this edition is 2/48 and he averages 34.33.

Dilshan Madushanka: The bowler from Sri Lanka has racked up 11 wickets in five matches so far at an average of 24.54. Dilshan Madushanka's 4/49 is his best bowling performance of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

AFG vs SL squads

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Abdul Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan

Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana

AFG vs SL Dream 11 team

Wicket-keepers: Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Batters: Ibrahim Zadran, Pathum Nissanka

Bowlers: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Kasun Rajitha, Rashid Khan, Dilshan Madushanka

All-rounders: Angelo Mathews, Azmatullah Omarzai

Captain: Kusal Mendis

Vice-captain: Rashid Khan

Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka head-to-head record in ODIs

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have competed against each other on 11 occasions in ODIs. While Afghanistan have won three matches, their rivals have emerged victorious in seven instances.

The last five ODI matches have seen Afghanistan win once and Sri Lanka on four occasions. The highest score in these five encounters is 323 by Sri Lanka while the lowest has been 116 by Afghanistan.

The team batting first has won twice, and lost thrice in six matches, on the other hand, the chasing side has won once and lost four times in five matches.

Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka ODI records

Highest score: Sri Lanka posted 323/6 against Afghanistan in June 2023, which remains the highest score between the two sides in ODIs. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis scored fifties to guide Sri Lanka to the record total.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, boast a top score of 313/8 against the Lankans in this format. Despite the mammoth score, Sri Lanka chased it down with four wickets to spare in November 2022.

Lowest score: Afghanistan recorded 116/10 against Sri Lanka in June 2023. It is the lowest team total in an ODI match between the two teams.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, made 158/10 in the 2018 Asia Cup against Afghanistan, which is the Lankans' lowest ODI total in this fixture.

Average score: Afghanistan's average score in Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka ODIs is 211, while Sri Lanka average 217 runs on the board in ODIs.

Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka prediction

Sri Lanka have won four of the last five matches against Afghanistan and will go into this clash as the favourites. 

Topics mentioned in this article

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Afghanistan World Cup 2023 Cricket