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Sri Lanka have brought forth some special bowling talent over the years ahead of big events. In the case of Lasith Malinga, he was thrown into the deep end during the so-called Top End tour of Australia in 2004. In the case of Ajantha Mendis, he was introduced just before the Asia Cup and took six wickets against India. Sri Lanka won the trophy in 2008 in the final.
The same template is to be followed with 20-year-old Mathisha Pathirana, who will make his ODI debut in the three-match series against Afghanistan starting on Friday. Though Pathirana has played just one Twenty20 international match, he is already a star after playing a key role in Chennai Super Kings’ run to a record fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 title.
Pathirana bowls with a unique round-arm action and the Sri Lankans expect him to be of great help to the batsmen during the World Cup qualifiers later this month in Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka, which won the 1996 World Cup title and finished runner-up twice, needed to qualify due to their drop in the International Cricket Council rankings in the one-day format.
Afghanistan have no such issues after having automatically qualified for the showpiece event in India later this year. Bowling is Afghanistan’s strength, with three Afghan players featuring in the list of top 10 bowlers in the official ICC rankings. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan will miss the first two matches due to a lower back injury, but off-spinners Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi will relish the Hambantota conditions.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Details
venue: Hambantota, Sri Lanka
date time: June 2, from 10 am Indian time
Live Streaming & TV Details: Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv website and app.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction
wicket keeper: Kusal Mendis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
batsman: Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka, Ibrahim Zadran
all rounder: Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Mohammad Nabi
Bowler: Lahiru Kumara, Mathisha Pathirana, Fazalhaq Farooqui
Captain: Pathum Nisanka
vice captain: Fazal Haq Farooqui
SL vs AFG 1st ODI Predicted 11
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamak Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis (wk), Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Mahesh Thikshana, Mathisha Pathirana
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Umarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Noor Ahmed, Fazlhaq Farooqui, Fareed Malik
