World Cup 2019: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan - Match preview

The stage is set for the battle of the underdogs when Afghanistan square off against Sri Lanka in the seventh fixture of the 2019 ICC World Cup. Sri Lanka will be looking to get back to winning ways after being battered in the opening game against the Kiwis. Afghanistan, who lost their World Cup opener against Australia, would be hoping to bounce back in the upcoming match. Either of the sides will open their 2019 World Cup account at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

The Sri Lankans have been struggling to find their feet in the international cricket lately, and their previous performance against New Zealand proved why they were considered to wear a weak outlook ahead of this World Cup edition. Apart from the skipper Dimuth Karunaratne’s unbeaten contribution of 52 runs, it was a sluggish performance from the Sri Lankan team as they were bundled out for just 136 runs. Even their bowlers had a terrible outing as the Blackcaps managed to chase the target down in just 16.1 overs. Sri Lanka would be eyeing to land a counterpunch when they take on their Asian neighbors tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan has been a rising force in the world cricket over the past few years. Having lost their previous encounter against the Kangaroos, the Afghans would want to make the most out of this opportunity against a potentially weaker side. After a top-order collapse, Rahmat Shah (43) and Najibullah Zardan (51) made a useful contribution to make sure their team reaches the 200-run landmark. However, Australia turned out to be too good for them, but the Gulbadin Naib-led side will take many positives ahead into the Sri Lanka clash.

Match Details

Date: Tuesday, 4th June 2019

Time: 03:00 PM IST

Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

League: ICC World Cup 2019

Live Telecast: Star Network

Online Streaming: Hotstar

Venue Stats

Avg 1st Innings score: 224

Avg 2nd Innings score: 213

Highest Total: 342/8 (50 Ov) by ENG vs AUS

Lowest Total: 136/10 (29.2 Ov) by SL vs NZ

Highest Chased: 304/6 (48.2 Ov) by PAK vs ENG

Lowest Defended: 169/10 (23.3 Ov) by ENG vs NZ

Team News

Sri Lanka

• Milinda Siriwardana might feature in the playing XI in place of Dhananjaya de Silva.
• Isuru Udana might make way for Nuwan Pradeep in the upcoming match.

Afghanistan

• Afghanistan is likely to go ahead with the same starting lineup.

Squads

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffery Vandersay, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

Afghanistan

Gulbadin Naib (C), Hamid Hassan, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Shahzad, Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Key players

Sri Lanka

• Kusal Perera
• Kusal Mendis
• Lasith Malinga

Afghanistan

• Md. Shezad
• Gulbadin Naib
• Rashid Khan

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