AFG vs SL Match Prediction: Who will win today's T20 World Cup 2022 match?
The Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka clash on Tuesday, November 1, will not only have major implications for Group 1 of the Super 12 stage but will also see the return of Mohammad Nabi's men, who haven't played in what seems like an eternity in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
With their clashes against Ireland and New Zealand washed out due to rain, Afghanistan have only two points on the board from three games. Their opening defeat to England remains their only involvement in the T20 World Cup thus far, and unfortunately for them, inclement weather is in the forecast for Tuesday as well.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, defeated Ireland in their opening game of the Super 2 stage before suffering consecutive hammerings at the hands of Australia and New Zealand. The Asia Cup champions have been hit by a slew of injuries, especially in the pace department, and their weakened bowling attack has been further hit by the recent poor form of their spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga.
The T20 World Cup is on the line for both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, with the losing team to be eliminated from semi-final contention. Will the rain stay away in Brisbane and allow Afghanistan to show the world what they're capable of? Or will the Lankans make a late push for the semi-final spots?
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Today Match Prediction - Who will win today's T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka?
We haven't seen much of Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup, but some things are pretty evident. The batting lineup is heavily reliant on the in-form Ibrahim Zadran, even though Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran are perfectly capable of winning matches on their day. Hazratullah Zazai has been ruled out of the tournament, but the Afghans might not miss him too much given how poor he has been at the top of the order.
The pace and bounce of the Gabba might not play into either team's hands. While Afghanistan have Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nabi as their three spinners, the Lankans' bowling lineup revolves around Hasaranga, Theekshana and the part-time spin of Dhananjaya de Silva. Afghanistan might be slightly better off in the pace attack, largely due to Fazalhaq Farooqi, but spin could be an unnatural theme in Brisbane on Tuesday.
The Asia Cup saw two evenly contested matches between the sides, with Farooqi running through the Lankan top order in the first game and Gurbaz picking up a rare Player of the Match award in a losing cause in the second. Sri Lanka's middle order has looked highly vulnerable against spin in the middle overs, so Rashid could have a big say in proceedings. But at the same time, Afghanistan's batting doesn't inspire much confidence either.
This one could go either way and it's almost impossible to predict a winner. But since Afghanistan have been on the sidelines for some time now, Sri Lanka might be able to secure two points despite the holes in their playing XI.
AFG vs SL Match Prediction: Sri Lanka to win today