AFG vs SL Live Score Cricbuzzteam, ICC World Cup 2023
In the World Cup 2023 clash, Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, won the toss and opted to bowl first. Shahidi’s decision was based on the expectation of dew coming into play later in the day. To bolster their bowling attack, Afghanistan brought in Fazalhaq Farooqi in place of Noor Ahmad. On the other hand, Sri Lanka made two changes to their lineup. Dushmantha Chameera was a natural replacement for the injured Lahiru Kumara, and opener Kusal Perera was dropped in favor of Dimuth Karunaratne.
Dimuth Karunaratne’s return to the squad was short-lived, as he fell to Farooqi’s bowling off the second ball of the sixth over. Sri Lanka found stability in the partnership between Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, who put together a 62-run stand off 77 balls for the second wicket. However, Mujeeb ur Rahman’s return after the 25th over proved crucial, as he took the wickets of Mendis and the in-form Sadeera Samarawickrama in consecutive overs, leaving Sri Lanka in a precarious position.
Rashid Khan then dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva, paving the way for the arrival of veteran Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka managed to boost their score in the last 10 overs, thanks to Maheesh Theekshana’s aggressive hitting, but he eventually fell for a 31-ball 29.
Both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have exceeded expectations in the World Cup, making them two of the most impressive teams that haven’t solidified their position in the top four. Sri Lanka, despite their good year in ODI cricket, faced doubts after their batting collapsed in the Asia Cup final against India. This was compounded by a slow start to the tournament with three consecutive losses. However, they made a strong comeback with back-to-back wins, including a victory over defending champions England.
Afghanistan, with little to lose, entered the tournament without having to go through the qualifiers. While they were expected to secure a couple of wins, no one anticipated those victories coming against England and Pakistan. Their victory over Pakistan caused turmoil within the Pakistani team, while Afghanistan’s camp is brimming with optimism ahead of their match against Sri Lanka.
Key points from the AFG vs SL match:
- Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- Sri Lanka faced a sluggish start, losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne early.
- They found stability in a 62-run partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis before Nissanka fell just short of a half-century.
- Afghanistan’s bowlers dominated the middle overs, keeping Sri Lanka’s batsmen under pressure.
- Both teams are trailing fourth-placed Australia by four points in the World Cup standings.
- Lahiru Kumara was ruled out of the tournament and replaced by Dushmantha Chameera.
- Afghanistan made a change, bringing in Fazalhaq Farooqi in place of Noor Ahmad.
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Brief scores: Sri Lanka 241 in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 46; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4/34, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/38) vs Afghanistan