Asia Cup 2018, Match 3: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka - Match Prediction

Sri Lanka started off their Asia Cup 2018 campaign on a losing note, as Bangladesh thrashed them by 137 runs in the opening game of the tournament. However, they face Afghanistan in their next group game on Monday in Abu Dhabi.

However, Sri Lanka has won only nine of their last 29 games and has been going through a lean patch since winning the tri-series in Windies back in 2016. On Monday, the Island nation needs to get a win to get their campaign back on track. Anything less than a victory will mean the end of the road for the Lankans. On the other hand, Afghanistan has some quality players in their ranks who can stage an upset.

Despite suffering the huge defeat at the hands of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had some positives to take from that particular match. Veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga made a remarkable comeback in the 50 overs format, as he bagged four wickets for just 23 runs in his allotted ten overs. However, the batters were pretty ordinary. They will definitely look to get some runs behind them.

Afghanistan will look to stage a major upset against Sri Lanka

During the first game, only three batsmen crossed 20 runs for Sri Lanka with Upul Tharanga top-scored with 27. The Lankans failed to seize the considerable advantage which they gained in the first two overs of their opening match. From effectively 3/3, Bangladesh made a brilliant turnaround and ended up scoring 261 in their allotted 50 overs. They eventually beat Sri Lanka by 137 runs in Asia Cup 2018.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, has played some quality cricket in the last couple of series. They defeated Zimbabwe and Ireland in back to back series and will back themselves to beat the depleted Lankan side.

The spin department is simply exceptional for Afghanistan as far as limited-overs cricket is concerned. Batsmen like Rahmat Shah, Mohammed Nabi, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Shehzad have all scored over 300 in the last seven matches.

The spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman can run through any batting line-up. They performed superbly for their IPL franchises in the 2018 edition.

Predicted XI’s

Sri Lanka

Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews (c), Niroshan Dickwella/Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Malinga

Afghanistan

Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsanullah, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan (c), Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Match Predictions

There is no doubt about the fact that the Lankans will start a bit ahead in Monday’s clash. However, given their performances in the last year or so, Lankans might not be the most confident unit.

Afghanistan should look to seize the opportunities presented to them, and a major upset might well be on the cards. So I will back Afghanistan to win today’s clash in Asia Cup 2018.