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The opening match of Asia Cup 2022 will be played between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan at the Dubai International Stadium on August 27 (Saturday).
The Islanders last played a T20I against Australia at home in June, where they lost the series 1-2. Similarly, Afghanistan were involved in a T20I series against Ireland, losing 2-3.
Both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be looking to start the tournament in a positive manner. The two sides are part of Group B in the competition alongside Bangladesh. The top two teams from this group will progress to the next round of the multi-team event.
Pitch report:
The track at Dubai tends to get better as the game progresses. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, 12 out of the 13 games at this venue were won while chasing, therefore, batting second is an ideal choice for captains after winning the toss.
Probable XI:
Sri Lanka: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Karim Janat, Noor Ahmad
Match Prediction:
Case 1:
- Sri Lanka wins the toss and bowls first
- Powerplay score: 35-40
- Afghanistan total: 140-150
Case 2:
- Afghanistan wins the toss and bowls first
- Powerplay score: 40-45
- Sri Lanka total: 145-155
Team batting second to win the contest.
