Afghanistan cricket team (Source: Twitter)
In the last fixture of the group stage of the Asia Cup 2023, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka go head-to-head at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on September 5.
The match holds great importance in deciding the final team that will proceed to the Super Four round of the competition. While Sri Lanka already have a win against their name, Afghanistan lost to Bangladesh in their campaign-opener.
Sri Lanka's chances of proceeding to the next round are tied with the intensity of the loss; if all it happens versus Afghanistan. If they win, they are through.
As for Afghanistan, they need to claim a victory by a significant margin to move ahead in the net run rate than Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
While the remaining piece of the puzzle will fit in tomorrow, meanwhile, we present two different fantasy teams for each of the toss scenarios.
Scenario 1 - If Sri Lanka bat first
The side batting first in the previous match at the Gaddafi Stadium got better batting conditions on offer. So, if Sri Lanka bat first, fill in the fantasy XI with as many batters as possible from their line-up. Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana are also must. From Afghanistan, you can pick their openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, and their premier spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Wicket-keepers | Kusal Mendis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
Batters | Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ibrahim Zadran |
All-rounders | Dhananjaya de Silva |
Bowlers | Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan |
Captain - Kusal Mendis
Vice-captain - Dhanajaya de Silva
Scenario 2 - If Sri Lanka bowl first
Following a similar strategy, pick more Afghanistan batters if Sri Lanka bowl first. The XI remains almost the same, however, a few batters from Sri Lanka go out. Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz can make a decent captain and vice-captain pair.
Wicket-keepers | Kusal Mendis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
Batters | Pathum Nissanka, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah |
All-rounders | Dhananjaya de Silva |
Bowlers | Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan |
Captain - Rashid Khan
Vice-captain - Rahmanullah Gurbaz