Big picture
Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LLLLW
Sri Lanka LLWWW
In the spotlight
Not to be too blunt, but Sri Lanka’s fielding has been awful this tournament. Which is something of a turnaround from the outstanding performances that helped win them an Asia Cup in September. They didn’t love the cold in Geelong and Hobart (Sri Lanka bowlers going back generations know they must take 14 or 15 wickets in an innings, because their chilly team-mates insist on dropping several in cold weather). But they had no such excuse on a sunny day in Sydney, where Nissanka’s drop of Glenn Phillips may have cost them the match. All up, they have dropped eight catches, and have shown sloppy ground-fielding technique to boot, right through the tournament. They can’t afford any mistakes with the path to a semi-final already treacherous for them.
Pitch and conditions
The Gabba’s customary bounce and swing will likely be on show in the afternoon, but that’s if the rain stops for long enough to allow a game. There’s a 90% chance of rain according to some forecasts.
Team news
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka/Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Lahiru Kumara
Afghanistan have not played for a while, but may keep the same XI that lost to England.
Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Stats and trivia
- Out of the three teams he’s scored more than 100 T20I runs against, Gurbaz has the highest strike rate against Sri Lanka – 197. In fact, it’s his highest against any team.
- Sri Lanka have played three T20Is against Afghanistan, losing only the opener of the recent Asia Cup.
- Despite having taken only one wicket in the last two games, Hasaranga remains the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with ten dismissals from six matches. He has an economy rate of 7.08.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf
Source: ESPN Crickinfo