Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 1st T20 Tips & Preview - Hosts to win series opener

By Nikhil Kalro

16 Feb 2024

Nikhil Kalro 16 Feb 2024

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Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka in T20I series following Afghanistan’s 3-0 ODI series defeat.
Afghanistan set to fight back in a format they are traditionally strong in.
Sri Lanka backed as favorites owing to their consistent batting prowess.

Sri Lanka take on Afghanistan (Getty Images)

Afghanistan have not enjoyed a great trip to Sri Lanka. They lost the ODI series 3-0, bludgeoned by Sri Lanka’s batting might right through that series.

They return to a format in which they have traditionally found some success against teams from the subcontinent as the tour moves on, starting with the first T20I on Saturday in Dambulla.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka were far too good in the ODIs, a series dominated by the batters. In three games, Sri Lanka lost just 12 wickets while Afghanistan lost 26, more than double in the same span.

At no point in any of those games, Sri Lanka were harried or pushed, which bodes well for the home team after a few years of mediocrity in home conditions.

"If we just look at 50-over cricket for the moment, our game plan is better suited to good wickets," Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood said during the ODI series. "I asked for flat wickets and thankfully I got the support in that from the powers that be."

"For how we want to play our cricket, the nature of how we want to play it, then we need good wickets to do that. And to also allow players the opportunity to galvanise that game plan through the fact that you can go out and do it time and time again. Slow, low wickets don't suit us to do that.”

Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s concerns were exacerbated when Mujeeb Ur Rahman, one of Afghanistan’s premier spinners, sustained a sprain in his right hand before the ODI series.

He will miss the entirety of the T20I series as well. Rashid Khan will remain unavailable as he recovers from back surgery.

Without Rashid, Afghanistan will be led by Ibrahim Zadran, who has been in sprightly batting form in the last few months.

He will have Rahmanullah Gurbaz and other big hitters like Hazratullah Zazai, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi for company as the visitors make a bid to upset the favorites early in the series.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Tips & Predictions

It is hardly surprising that Sri Lanka will start this game as heavy favourites considering how strong they have been on this tour. There is a feeling that flat pitches will continue even in the T20Is, which should suit Sri Lanka’s free-flowing batting style.

Verdict

Sri Lanka v Afghanistan - 1st Twenty20 Match

Afghanistan are certainly no pushovers in this format as they showed in the T20 series against India in January, which makes their odds quite compelling, but it seems like Sri Lanka may be too strong in the early stages of this series at least.