SL vs AFG Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI Updates, Pitch Report & Injury Updates For Match 1

SL vs AFG Team Preview:

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will battle it out in the first match of the highly-awaited Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Sri Lanka were originally supposed to host the tournament, however, the economic turmoil in the country snatched the rights from them. A total of six teams are taking a part in the tournament. India, Pakistan, and Hong Kong are placed in Group A while the remaining three, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are a part of Group B.

The last edition of the Asia Cup was a 50-overs contest and was won by India. It is the second time that Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format since its inception. Sri Lanka have won the tournament on five occasions and have the highest win percentage. This is Afghanistan’s third appearance in the tournament. They have finished in the fourth position on both the last two occasions. On paper, both teams have an equally great lineup and it will be interesting to see which team among the two gets over the line in this match on Saturday (August 27).

SL vs AFG Match Details:

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Match 1

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Date & Time: 27th August at 7:30 PM IST and 6:00 PM Local Time

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network

SL vs AFG, Match 1 Pitch Report:

The pitch is likely to give an edge to the bowlers that is what has happened in the last 5 T20 matches here. The team winning the toss have elected to bowl and won the match in all these 5 matches. The average first innings score is 128 runs.

Injury News:

(will be added when there is an update)

SL vs AFG, Match 1 Probable Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay

Afghanistan

Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Karim Janat

Top Picks for SL vs AFG Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Batters

Pathum Nissanka:

With 326 runs in 11 matches this year, Pathum Nissanka has enjoyed a lot of success in T20Is. He is the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in T20Is this year.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa:

He is one of the most destructive batters in this format. His statistics in T20Is don’t do justice to the talent that he possesses. His batting strike rate of 134.61 do speak a lot about him. Rajapaksa is one of the players to watch in this tournament.

Top Picks – All-Rounders

Wanindu Hasaranga:

It took 32 matches for Wanindu Hasaranga to reach 50 wickets in T20Is. He is the fastest to reach that mark in terms of time as he completed a 50-wicket haul in just 2 years and 61 days in International Cricket. Hasaranga has emerged as a force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game. Since 2021, he has taken 46 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 12.67. The only bowler ahead of him in this list is Tabraiz Shamsi, who has taken 48 wickets in 31 matches.

Mohammad Nabi:

He has already attained the legend status in Afghanistan cricket. The captain of the team has played 96 T20Is and has a chance to play his 100th game in this tournament. Nabi has made 1653 runs in T20Is at an average of 22.64 and has taken 80 wickets as well.

Top Picks – Bowlers

Rashid Khan:

After going wicket-less in the first 3 T20Is against Ireland this month, Rashid Khan bounced back to pick 3 wickets in the last 2 games of the five-match series. In his last appearance in The Hundred, he picked 3 wickets for just 25 runs.

Maheesh Theekshana:

In 18 T20Is, Maheesh Theekshana has picked 16 wickets at an average of 27.37 out of which 7 wickets have come this year. Theekshana might be the perfect partner for Hasaranga and the duo can wreak havoc in this tournament.

Top Picks – Wicketkeeper

Rahmanullah Gurbaz:

He is easily the best wicketkeeper pick for this match among the other players. He has made 676 runs in 27 T20Is at an average of 25.03 and a strike rate of 133.86 including four half-centuries.

SL vs AFG Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for SL vs AFG Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Najibullah Zadran, Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka (C), Mohammad Nabi, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (VC), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Maheesh Theekshana

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for SL vs AFG Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (C), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Najibullah Zadran, Usman Ghani, Charith Asalanka, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rashid Khan (VC), Naveen-ul-Haq, Maheesh Theekshana

SL vs AFG Risky Captaincy Choices:

Dhananjaya de Silva:

He last played a T20I in September 2021. In 23 T20Is, Dhananjaya de Silva has made 412 runs and has picked 5 wickets. He is likely to play a key role for the team in the middle order.

Naveen-ul-Haq:

The 22-years-old fast bowler has picked 140 wickets in 112 T20 matches at an average of 21.94. However, for Afghanistan, he has managed to pick only 25 wickets in 18 matches. This tournament is the right place for him to improve his numbers.

Player you should avoid:

Ibrahim Zadran:

He has played only 8 T20I matches in his career. There are far more players with more experience than him on both sides, hence, he can be avoided when picking the players for the fantasy teams.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.