Asia Cup 2022: AFG Playing 11 vs SL (Predicted), Match 01

Asia Cup 2022: AFG Playing 11 vs SL (Predicted), Match 01. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will lock horns in the opening game of the 2022 Asia Cup competition to be played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, 27th August at 7:30 pm IST.

Five-time Asia Cup Champions, Sri Lanka will be looking to put on a strong show in this fixture. Captain Dasun Shanaka will be hoping that the experienced Sri Lankan team can deliver the goods with bat and ball in the opening Asia Cup 2022 clash.

On the other hand, Afghanistan will certainly fancy its chances of beating Sri Lanka in these conditions. With world-class spinners in their ranks and opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz on their side, Afghanistan will be looking to produce their best cricket in this opening encounter. In the last 2016 ICC T20I World Cup played in India, Sri Lanka registered a five-wicket win over Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka will be looking to turn their fortunes in this year’s Asia Cup 2022. Dasun Shanaka will be hoping that the side can adjust to the conditions and perform consistently in this competition.

Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka enter the competition without their premier fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who got ruled out due to injury. They will hope to start their campaign on a winning note as they aim to clinch their first title since 2014.

Mohammad Nabi-led unit will need to raise their overall game in all three departments. In the batting department, the side will be relying on the likes of Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, and captain Mohammad Nabi to do the bulk of the scoring. Afghanistan will be appearing in their milestone 100th T20 international match.

In the bowling department, the side will be relying on the likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad to provide crucial breakthroughs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi got injured during the Ireland series and might be a doubtful starter for the game. If Fazalhaq Farooqi isn’t fit, both Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad Malik will play in the XI in Asia Cup 2022 opener.

Asia Cup 2022: AFG Playing 11 vs SL (Predicted), Match 01

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be the preferred opener for the Asia Cup 2022 due to the promising start to his career in the international arena. The young player may quickly eliminate the opposition’s momentum and can produce strong starts while batting as the top-order batter in the opening slot. He has scored 676 runs averaging 25.03 in 27 T20Is, having debuted in T20Is in 2019.

Hazratullah Zazai

Hazratullah Zazai has been on and off of Afghanistan’s T20I squad in recent matches, although he is anticipated to start the batting lineup for Asia Cup 2022 alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The 24-year-old would frequently use the aerial route and may occasionally play a big game.

Thus he might as well prove to be the team’s standout player. He has scored 867 runs in 28 T20Is averaging 33.34 which includes a ton. He scored 162* against Ireland in 2019, the 2nd highest T20I score after Australian Aaron Finch (172).

Hashmatullah Shahidi

Hashmatullah Shahidi has played 6 T20Is, managing 48 runs in 6 T20Is averaging 24. Hashmatullah Shahidi is a young left-handed batsman whose hard work in Afghanistan’s age group teams eventually allowed him to break into the senior squad.

He scored an unbeaten 200 in a Test inning as he averages 58.83 playing only 5 Tests. He has also played 50 ODIs. He played against Ireland in August 2022, scoring 11 and 36 in the two T20Is.

Najibullah Zadran

Najibullah Zadran is among the most lethal T20 batters currently active, and he has a huge amount of expertise in the field. Najibullah Zadran can easily clear the ropes and will play a significant role in the fourth position.

He also has a good strike rate of 141.75 and a decent average of 33.04. He was in fine touch throughout the Ireland series and helped his team win a game with a 24-ball 50-run effort. In 78 T20Is, he has amassed 1487 runs and in 79 ODIs, he has amassed 1849 runs averaging 30.81.

Usman Ghani

Usman Ghani has amassed 705 runs in 30 T20Is averaging 27.12. One of the most exciting new talents to emerge from Afghanistan’s cricket programs in recent years, intrepid opening batsman Usman Ghani was good enough to play one-day international cricket for Afghanistan well before his 18th birthday.

Usman Ghani was also good enough to race to a century in his fourth ODI, against Zimbabwe, still aged 17. He has already played 30 T20Is and 17 ODIs.

Mohammad Nabi

One of the finest all-rounders in the short-format game, Mohammad Nabi is highly potent with the bat and the ball. The 37-year-old is thrifty with the ball during the powerplay overs and has a strike rate of 141.52 in T20 Internationals.

It’ll be a huge responsibility on the skipper if Afghanistan wishes to move forward in the tournament. In 96 T20Is, he has scored 1653 runs averaging 22.64 and has also picked 80 scalps averaging 27.52. He has also played 3 Tests and 133 ODIs. He will lead the Afghanistan team in the Asia Cup 2022.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is now the strongest T20I spinner available, and he can win matches all by himself for his team. He has significantly improved as a batter and appears to be much more formidable as the game moves into its final overs.

He has been a force to reckon with in the T20I format, having 112 wickets from 66 games and averaging a mere 13.8. He also has already taken 4 4-wicket and 2 5-wicket hauls in T20Is. In 83 ODIs, he has amassed 158 scalps averaging 18.65 with 5 4-wicket and 4 5-wicket hauls. He will lead the spin attack in the Asia Cup 2022.

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Another rising star who has been spotted by numerous franchises worldwide is Fazalhaq Farooqi, a 21-year-old who already has established a name for himself in T20 Internationals. Fazalhaq Farooqi will be challenging for the Sri Lankan batters.

His numbers in the 20-over format are also decent as he has managed to scalp 12 wickets in nine games averaging 17. He debuted in Abu Dhabi against Zimbabwe on March 2021. He will definitely get a chance in the Asia Cup 2022 if fit.

Fareed Ahmad Malik

Fareed Malik is a left-arm pacer who’s got a limited number of opportunities in his international career so far. He made his ODI debut in 2014 and T20I debut in 2016 both against UAE

Afghanistan usually plays with more spinners than fast bowlers, hence he has got very few chances to feature for Afghanistan. He made his T20I and ODI debut – both against UAE but it’s against Ireland where he has enjoyed more success. He has picked 15 scalps in 11 ODIs averaging 22.93 and 24 scalps in 18 T20Is averaging 20.21. He will definitely get a chance in the Asia Cup 2022.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has not been as productive as he could have been at the beginning of his professional career, but he still manages to prevent the flow of runs. In terms of diversity, the mystery spinner offers a lot, and he can team up with the experienced Rashid Khan to form a strong spin partnership at the Asia Cup 2022. He has picked 38 scalps in 28 T20Is averaging 16.71. He will definitely get a chance in the Asia Cup 2022.

Naveen Ul Haq

When fans talk about fast bowlers in the Afghanistan squad, Naveen-ul-Haq is regarded as the team’s future in that department, and he possesses all of the tricks up his sleeve to be successful. The 22-year-old youngster has been effective in T20Is, taking 25 wickets in 18 matches for an average of 18.04. He will definitely get a chance in the Asia Cup 2022.