AFG vs SL: Afghanistan playing XI vs Sri Lanka, Match 30, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – Predicted

Afghanistan will face Sri Lanka in match No. 30 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Pune.

Afghanistan have been fantastic in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Though they have already lost three games out of the five they have played, they have beaten two top contenders in the tournament. They won against England, and then they beat Pakistan in the last game in Chennai.

So far, it has been a pretty decent journey for Afghanistan in this tournament, and they would like to carry it on. Afghanistan will now face Sri Lanka on Monday at the MCA Stadium in Pune. That will be a must-win contest for them to stay alive in the race to the semi-finals. Here we will talk about the predicted playing XI for Afghanistan against Sri Lanka.

AFG vs SL: Afghanistan's Predicted playing XI vs Sri Lanka

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk):

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the key to Afghanistan at the top because the starts he is giving to the team are setting the platforms for the others to take the game deep. He has scored 224 runs at 44.80 with a strike rate of 101.35. He will look to provide another good innings to help Afghanistan win.

2. Ibrahim Zadran:

Ibrahim Zadran is another half of Afghanistan's successful opening combo. His 87 against Pakistan helped the team win. He is a consistent batter at the top, and his team will hope for him to give another good start that can help the team win. Zadran has scored 173 runs at 34.50 and has played some good innings already.

3. Rahmat Shah :

Rahmat Shah struggled in the first few games, but the way he played against Pakistan shows why he is rated so highly in the team. He played a crucial knock of an unbeaten 77 and took the team home to win. He will gain immense confidence and will be looking to play another crucial innings to help his team register another win.

4. Hasmatullah Shahidi (c) :

Afghan captain, Hasmatullah Shahidi, has been a consistent batter who has been getting good starts and has looked good at times. Even in the last game, he added an important partnership with Rahmat Shah and hit the winning runs against Pakistan. He has scored 168 runs at an average of 42 and will look to win another game for the team.

5. Azmatullah Omarzai:

Azmatullah Omarzai will be one of the most important players for Afghanistan. He will be the second seamer in the team and will have a big role with the ball. With the bat, he has scored 130 runs at an average of 32.50 and has taken four wickets with the ball already. Omarzai will want to contribute with both bat and ball.

6. Ikram Alikhil :

Ikram Alikhil played his first game in this tournament against England and played an important innings of 58 runs, added crucial runs with the tail and showed his maturity. He is very calm and composed, and that shows in his batting. Ikram is pretty good against pace and spin, which makes him a versatile batter.

7. Mohammad Nabi :

Mohammad Nabi is an integral part of this team. He has missed only four ODIs that Afghanistan have played in their cricket history, which tells the story of this veteran. His contribution with both bat and ball makes him a big plus to this team and gives them a great balance in both departments.

8. Rashid Khan :

Rashid Khan needs no introduction, he is the X factor in this team. With the ball, on the field, and even with the bat, he can change the game in any situation. He has taken six wickets at an economy rate of 4.86 and has played some cameos with the bat. Rashid will be a threat for Sri Lanka, as he loves playing against them.

9. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman :

Mujeeb ur Rahman has been as important for the team as Rashid. He has bowled early with the new ball and restricted the batters from scoring runs, which makes him a difficult bowler to face. Mujeeb has taken four wickets so far but has picked up some important wickets. Sri Lankan batters have struggled against good spinners, and he can extract something from the pitch in Pune.

10. Noor Ahmed :

Noor Ahmed played his first game of the tournament against Pakistan and straight away delivered an impactful performance and picked up 3/49, which kept his team in the contest with the ball. He is a pretty aggressive and engaging character who has a lot of variety to trouble any batter on any pitch.

11. Naveen-ul-Haq :

Naveen-ul-Haq was the only specialist pacer for Afghanistan in the last game, but he did a brilliant job to take two wickets. He has been good with both new and old balls and knows how to swing the ball and then bowl yorkers at the death. His slower ones and change-ups are also hard to pick, and a lot will depend on how he will bowl with the new ball against Sri Lanka.