Table of Contents
ToggleDambulla hosts the SL vs AFG three-match T20I series. The series kicks off with the first T20I on February 17, Saturday. All the matches will start from 7 pm IST and all the matches will be played in Dambulla.
Afghanistan are yet to win a match in the series so far. They lost the one-off test by 10 wickets. They were humbled by Sri Lanka in the ODI series as they registered big victories. Sri Lanka won the first ODI by 42 runs, the second by 155 runs, and the third by seven wickets.
Sri Lanka will be led by Wanindu Hasaranga in the series. He was named the new T20I skipper for Sri Lanka after the ODI World Cup. The SLC decided to change the leadership responsibilities choosing three different captains for different formats.
Hasaranga was chosen as the T20I skipper. He won his first series as captain against Zimbabwe. Kusal Mendis was named the new ODI skipper and Dhananjaya de Silva the new T20I skipper.
Ibrahim Zadran will continue to lead Afghanistan as the stand-in skipper. Regular T20I skipper Rashid Khan is still recovering from his lower back surgery. Zadran and his fellow opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be the key batters for the Afghans with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmead the key bowlers in the series.
Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have played 15 ODIs with Afghanistan winning four and Sri Lanka 10. In five T20Is, the Lankans have won three while the Afghans have two. Sri Lanka won the one-off Test to start the series.
The Lankans have been a bit vulnerable at home against Sri Lanka. Afghanistan with an in-form bowling unit with a lot of T20I cricket behind them is expected to exploit the conditions in Dambulla. The Lankans have Theekshana and Hasaranga to counter the Afghan spin challenge as well.
SL vs AFG Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Dambulla Stadium – 1st T20I, 2024
Weather Report Of Dambulla
The weather forecast for the SL vs AFG first T20I in Dambulla does not look good. There is a forecast of rain that is expected to hit Dambulla. The weather during the day will be around the high 30s with scattered showers expected.
The weather forecast at night will be around 23 degrees with partly cloudy skies. The first T20I starts at 7 pm IST. There is almost a 20 percent chance of rain in the evening.
Pitch Analysis
So far three T20Is have been played in Dambulla with the average first innings score close to 130 and the average second innings total close to 120.
However, given the kind of batters on both sides and the form some of the batters are in at the moment the SL vs AFG first T20I is expected to be a high-scoring contest. With dew likely to play a role any score between 160-180 might give us a close contest.
Weather Impact
As per reports, there are predictions of rain and cloudy skies for the better part of the next week. The SL vs AFG T20Is will be played on February 17, 19 and 21. It is very much possible that all three matches might be interrupted by rain. Given the weather predictions, the first T0I might even be a washout if it rains throughout the day making the drainage difficult.
Conclusion
Afghanistan after losing the Test and the ODI series has a chance to bounce back in this T20I series. They have the players to challenge Sri Lanka in their backyard. However, the absence of Rashid Khan will be a deciding factor for the visitors in this T20I series.
