The long wait for the 15th edition of the Asia Cup is over. Hosts Sri Lanka takes on Afghanistan in the curtain-raiser at the Dubai International Stadium. Both teams have had a below-average run entering the big Asia Cup cricket stage.

The big picture 

Sri Lanka are the second-most successful side in the tournament’s history. They have lifted the trophy on five different occasions.

The Lankan Lions enter the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup without their premier fast bowler Dushmantha Chamera. The Sri Lankan bowling unit looks inexperienced. However, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana have had a great ride before the Asia Cup. The Lankan batting department seems settled with the presence of Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjay de Silva and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Due to the depth in their batting line up, the hosts are more likely to score runs quickly. After playing a talismanic role against Australia in the home T20I series, captain Shanaka has been striking hard. 

On the other hand, after a series loss against Ireland, Afghanistan have a point to prove. The playing conditions in Dubai suit the Afghan bowling style; slow and sluggish pitches will support the spinners. The Asia Cup platform is the right stage for Rashid Khan to stamp his dominance in world cricket ahead of the T20I World Cup. The batting department lacks depth and experience, so the main responsibility to score runs will be on their top order. Afghanistan have struggled in the middle overs; since 2019, the Pashtuns have scored 7.5 runs per over and on an average have lost 3 wickets between Overs 7 to 15. Their Skipper Mohammad Nabi is the most experienced player in the UAE with 35 appearances. The Afghan captain has scored 593 runs at a Strike Rate of 138.56 and has picked 31 wickets with an Economy Rate of 7.09.

Match details 

Match: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan | Match 1, Asia Cup 2022
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Date: 27 August 2022
Time: 07:30 PM IST
Where to watch: Star Sports Network | Disney + Hotstar

Pitch report & Toss

The wicket will offer good competition between bat and ball; spinners could make life difficult for batters during middle overs. Bowlers who can vary their pace will enjoy success. The odd bowl is anticipated to hold the wicket and cause trouble. Fortunately, there has not been much dew at night, which minimises the toss advantage. It will be a good toss to lose for a change.

Probable playing XIs 

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjay de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Aistha Fernando and Jeffery Vandersay

Afghanistan: Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Karim Janat

Head-to-head

Matches Played: 1
Sri Lanka: 1
Afghanistan: 0

Clean hitters

Sri Lanka: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjay de Silva, Dasun Shanaka
Afghanistan: Hazaratullah Zazai, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Death-over bowlers

Sri Lanka: Asitha Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne
Afghanistan:  Naveen-ul-Haq, Karim Janat 

Fantasy team 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Pathun Nissanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Najibullah Zadran, Charith Asalanka, Mohammad Nabi, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Maheesh Theekshana

Captain & Vice-captain choices

Captain: Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga

Vice-captain: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Prediction

The Dubai International Stadium has favoured the chasing side. Regardless of the dew factor, chasing a 165+ score will be difficult. Powerplays in both the innings will be crucial. Sri Lanka look like a well-balanced side with batting depth and bowling variations, and for that reason they hold an edge over Afghanistan going into this game.