Sri Lanka takes on Afghanistan in the third and final T20I in Dambulla on Wednesday, February 21. The match starts from 7 pm IST with the Lankans looking for a clean sweep. The Lankan side are currently ranked eighth in the ICC T20I rankings.
Sri Lanka won the first T20I by four runs and the second by 72 runs. Batting first they piled up 187/6 with Sadeera Samarawickrama (51) and Angelo Mathews (42* off 22) scoring runs in the lower order after a good start from the top order.
The bowlers then came together to dismiss Afghanistan for a paltry 115. All six Sri Lankan bowlers got wickets with skipper Wanindu Hasaranga picking up 2/19. Mathews picked up 2/9 in two overs to win the Man of the Match award.
Sri Lanka have been thoroughly dominant in this series against Afghanistan and have remained unbeaten. They have extended their winning streak in T20Is to five out of seven games. Heading into the last T20I, Sri Lanka can either play with the same squad or ring in a few changes to give changes to a few players as well.
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Sri Lanka Playing 11 vs Afghanistan, 3rd T20I, 2024
Pathum Nissanka
Nissanka will open the batting. He has scored 6 and 25 in the first two games and will look to finish on a high. The batter became the first Sri Lankan to score a double-century in ODIs in the ODI series.
Kusal Mendis (WK)
Mendis the ODI skipper was chosen as the specialist keper batter over Kusal Perera. He scored 10 and 23 in the first two games. It will be interesting to see if the ODI skipper is rested for the final game.
Dhananjaya de Silva
Test skipper Dhahnanyaja de Silva will slot in at three. He scored 24 and 14 in the first two games and will look to finish on a high in the third T20I. Previously he led his side to a Test win against Afghanistan in the series.
Sadeera Samarawickrama
The batter is fresh off his 51 off 42 balls in the second T20I. He plays spin well and is becoming a dependable player with the bat for his side. He notched up his first fifty-plus score in the format.
Charith Asalanka
Asalanka will bat at five. He has managed to single-digit scores in the first two games and will look to finish strongly. The southpaw is 85 short of 1000 T20I runs and can target it in the final T20I.
Angelo Mathews
Mathews scored an unbeaten 42 batting at seven in the second T20I. Number six or seven is an ideal batting position for him in the format since he is a finisher for the side. He also took two wickets.
Dasun Shanaka
Shanaka can bat at seven. As the Sri Lankan T20I skipper, he batted at seven mostly and finished games for the side. He scored just six in the first T20I and did not bat in the second game.
Wanindu Hasaranga
Hasaranga can bat at eight. He scored an unbeaten 22 off just nine balls in the second T20I and took 2/19 with the ball. He is now the second Lankan bowler with more than 100 T20I wickets after Lasith Malinga.
Maheesh Theekshana
Theekshana can bat at nine. He can hit the long balls in the lower order and pair up with Hasaranga as the spin twin for the Lankans. He has picked up two wickets in two games.
Dilshan Madushanka
Madushanka can replace Binura Fernando in the last game. He was not picked for the first two games while Fernando picked up wickets in both the game. The management might look to give the other left-arm pacer a chance.
Matheesha Pathirana
Pathirana concludes the likely Sri Lankan XI. He picked up four wickets in the first game and two in the second. He has now picked six wickets from just three T20Is.
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