Afghanistan opt to bat; Dhananjaya Lakshan in for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and chose to bat first, on what he felt was a decent batting surface in Pallekele. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said he would have batted first as well. The ball’s tendency to zip around under lights in Pallekele may have influenced Hashmatullah’s decision as well.

Seam-bowling allrounder Dhananjaya Lakshan plays his second international for Sri Lanka, essentially replacing Chamika Karunaratne in the side, after Karunaratne was omitted from the squad for this series. Sri Lanka’s frontline seam bowlers, meanwhile, are Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha, with Pramod Madushan having just been added to Sri Lanka’s long injury list.

Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva both find places in the top order.

For Afghanistan, seam-bowling allrounder Gulbadin Naib, legspinning allrounder Rahmat Shah, and fronline seamer Yamin Ahmadzai all come into the XI. The top order is fairly settled, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran opening, with the likes of Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi in the middle order, in addition to captain Hashmatullah.

This is the first ever bilateral series across formats between these teams. Sri Lanka have won three of the four completed ODIs between these teams, but are down at tenth on the current Super League table, while Afghanistan are better placed, at seventh; only teams that finish in the top eight get automatic entry into the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt.), 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Rahmat Shah, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 11 Yamin Ahmadzai

Sri Lanka: 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Dhanajaya Lakshan, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Lahiru Kumara

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