Sri Lanka would be looking to finish off the series with a win here.
Preview
SL vs AFG will be battling each other in the 2nd T20I of the Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on February 19. After clean-sweeping Afghanistan in the ODI series 3-0, Sri Lanka has started the T20I series with a bang as well. They have won the first game and lead the three-match series.
Playing against each other in the last game at the same venue, Afghanistan had won the toss and elected to field. Sri Lanka Lanka lost the opener Nissanka in the first over itself but had a decent second-wicket partnership to keep them in the game. The highlight of the innings was the skipper’s knock of 67 off just 32 balls and the fifth wicket stand which lasted for 72 runs. Farooqui scalped three while Naveen and Omarzai took two each as they bowled the Lankans on an average total of 160.
Afghanistan had a decent chase ahead of them and they started aggressively for it. Gurbaz, who had looked good so far, was lost at the score of 25. The second wicket stand between Ibrahim and Naib was a good one where they amassed 43 runs at a good rate. However, they struggled after that as they were not able to have good partnerships. Skipper Ibrahim Zadran stood his ground from one end but kept losing partners from the other end and in a very interesting turn of events Afghanistan lost the game in a close call of four runs.
Match Information
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, 2nd T20I
Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka, 19 Feb 2024, Mon, 7:00 PM IST ,Dambulla
Probable PlayingXI
Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka, C Asalanka, D de Silva, W Hasaranga(C), A Mathews, D Shanaka, K Mendis, S Samarawickrama, M Theekshana, B Fernando, Matheesha Pathirana
Bench: D Madushanka, A Dananjaya, PHKD Mendis, K Perera, N Thushara, D Karunaratne, KNM Fernando, D Chandimal, NGRP Jayasuriya, Chamika Gunasekara, MVT Fernando, AM Fernando, K Rajitha, LU Igalagamage, M Priyanath, RTM Mendis, A Fernando, D Chameera, Shavon Daniel, PM Liyanagamage, MNK Fernando, J Liyanage, SSD Arachchige, C Karunaratne, JF Vandersay, Dunith Wellalage
Afghanistan
Ibrahim Zadran(C), Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Bench: Farid Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Hazratullah Zazai, Wafadar, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Noor Ali Zadran, R Shah, Nasir Jamal, IA Khil, N Zadran, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Mohammad Saleem, Nijat Masood, Abdul Malik, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bahir Shah, Zahir Khan, Riaz Hussan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bilal Sami
Injury News
(will be added when there is an update)
Weather Report: Clear Sky
Win Prediction: Sri Lanka
Pitch Condition: Batting
Avg 1st Inning Score: 164
Pitch Report
Captains: 9
Wanindu Hasaranga: SL bat
The lone warrior from the Afghan camp, Zadran did a great job with the bat. Playing 55 deliveries, he scored 67 runs and remained unbeaten as well.
Fazalhaq Farooqi: AFG