Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Prediction: Winning team will have chance in semis

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are going head to head in the 30th game of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Maharashtra Cricket Association, Pune, India on 30th October. Afghanistan announced their presence in the World Cup by defeating favourites Pakistan and England. The winning team will have a good chance of making it into the semi-finals. Who will win this game?

Afghanistan's journey in this competition commenced with losses to Bangladesh and India. However, they rebounded impressively by causing upsets against England and Pakistan, with another defeat to New Zealand sandwiched in between. Now, they have the opportunity to face an opponent they've encountered frequently this year.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, serving as Afghanistan's opening batsmen, have been the standout run-scorers for their team in this World Cup. Gurbaz has amassed 224 runs, while Zadran has contributed 173. Their century partnerships against England and Pakistan were pivotal, highlighting their importance at the top of the batting order for Afghanistan.

In terms of wicket-takers, seamer Naveen-ul-Haq and spinner Rashid Khan lead the way for Afghanistan, each claiming six wickets in the tournament. Spinner Noor Ahmad, who recently made his first appearance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, made an impact by securing three wickets. He is likely to retain his spot in the XI, given Afghanistan's strong reliance on spin in their tactical approach.

Afghanistan appears to be a more composed and cohesive unit than in the past. This composure will be essential as they face Sri Lankan opposition riding high on their significant victory against England. The Afghan bowlers, in particular, will face a stern challenge from a resolute Sri Lankan batting order.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Naveen-ul-Haq

Sri Lanka, after enduring three successive defeats against South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia, have managed to turn the tide with back-to-back wins against the Netherlands and England. This resurgence has lifted them from the bottom of the points table to a commendable sixth place, reigniting their aspirations of securing a top-four finish.

In the Sri Lankan lineup, three batters have already crossed the 200-run mark in the tournament. Middle-order batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama leads the way with an impressive 295 runs in five innings, boasting an exceptional average of 98.33. He enters this upcoming fixture with the confidence of consecutive half-centuries and a century against Pakistan earlier in the competition.

On the bowling front, Dilshan Madushanka has emerged as a standout performer for Sri Lanka, amassing a total of 11 wickets in five matches during this tournament. This impressive tally includes four wickets against the Netherlands and three against Australia, maintaining an average of over two wickets per match in ODI cricket.

However, Sri Lanka will be missing the services of the injured Matheesha Pathirana for this match and the remainder of the tournament. The inclusion of replacement player Angelo Mathews is a valuable addition to the squad and playing XI. With his wealth of experience as a former captain and all-rounder, Mathews is expected to continue contributing significantly to the team's success.

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, and Dilshan Madushanka

Pune has been the venue for eight ODIs, with an even split of four victories each for the team batting first and the team chasing. Notably, two of the most recent three ODIs at this ground were clinched by the chasing team.

In the last five matches of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, the captains winning the toss have consistently chosen to bat first. It's likely that a similar decision will be made in Pune. However, it's worth noting that Afghanistan and Sri Lanka achieved their recent victories by batting second.

This fixture will mark the first of five 2023 Cricket World Cup matches to be played in Pune. In the last five ODI innings here, the first-innings totals were 256, 329, 336, 317, and 283. Pune is known for relatively high-scoring encounters, although not to the extent of some other venues in India.

Teams have been bowled out on only three occasions in the last 10 ODI innings at this ground. Therefore, it may be advantageous to include at least two specialist spinners in the playing XI. Both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan might consider fielding as many as three spinners.

Weather-wise, there is no rainfall anticipated in the days leading up to the match. The matchday forecast also does not predict wet conditions, but the temperature and humidity levels are expected to be typically high in Pune.

Sri Lanka has been gaining significant momentum, particularly after their recent victory over the 2019 Cricket World Cup champions, England. They hold a strong record against Afghanistan in ODI cricket, which bodes well for their chances in this match, especially if key players like Samarawickrama and Madushanka deliver noteworthy performances.