Sri Lanka face Afghanistan in Match 30 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at Gahunje in the outskirts of Pune on October 29. Here is the SL vs AFG World Cup 2023 match live score, as well as updates, playing XI and toss news.
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Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – Match 30
October 30, 2023
2 pm local time
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Gahunje, Pune
SL vs AFG, World Cup 2023 Match 30: Live score
Click here to check live score from Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, World Cup 2023: Toss and live updates
Toss at 1:30 pm local time
SL vs AFG, World Cup 2023 Match 30: Team news
Sri Lanka have maintained a clean sheet against Afghanistan at the World Cup, pocketing both matches in 2015 and 2019. The two sides will reconvene for the first time since the Asia Cup 2023 group stage game, where Sri Lanka pipped Afghanistan by two runs and ended the Super Four hopes of the latter.
The return of Angelo Mathews has been a massive boost for the 1996 world champions. Coming as an injury replacement for Matheesa Pathirana, Mathews bowled in ODIs for the first time since 2020 and finished with figures of 2-14 in five overs in a winning cause against England.
However, Lahiru Kumara, the Player of the Match in their last outing, has been sidelined for the rest of the tournament due to a thigh injury, paving a return of Dushmantha Chameera in the squad.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan might be tempted to break their spin quartet of Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to fit in left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi in the starting line-up in Pune.
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan predicted XIs
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (c) (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Match prediction: Who will win today’s SL vs AFG match?
It’s a battle between two mid-table sides. Afghanistan’s strength lies in their spin-centric bowling attack, while Sri Lanka’s in-form batting order favours them. It will be an even-steven contest.
