SL vs AFG 1st ODI | Playing 11, Prediction, Cricket Tips, Preview & Live Streaming 

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan (X.com)

The first ODI of the three-match series between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan is set to be played on Friday, February 9, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. 

SL vs AFG Previews

Sri Lanka 

Sri Lanka is gearing up for their second ODI series post their underwhelming World Cup performance. With only two victories out of nine matches, they ended up ninth in the showpiece event. 

The Lankan Lions beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in a three-match series last month. However, the visitors seriously had Sri Lanka sweating at times.

Heading into this game, the hosts have got some catching up to do, and squaring off against Afghanistan, with their solid players, won't be a cakewalk.

As for the team combination, they are missing Dasun Shanaka, who has been dropped from the team with Kusal Mendis taking up the charge, and on top of that, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal didn't make the cut.

Afghanistan 

Following their promising run in the 50-over World Cup held in India last year, Afghanistan is gearing up for their first ODI appearance since then. They comprehensively beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their only meeting at the prestigious event.

Afghanistan's cricket team has seriously stepped up their game in the 50-over format, often keeping things interesting right until the end, as we saw in the World Cup when they pulled off a historic win against Pakistan. 

While they will definitely feel the gap left by Rashid Khan, the team seems well-rounded overall, and we can anticipate them giving Sri Lanka a run for their money on their home turf.