SL vs AFG, 1st ODI: Hosts meet Rashid Khan-less visitors

Sri Lanka will host Afghanistan in the opening match of the three-match series. The home team will view this series as a preparation opportunity as they will feature in the ICC 2023 World Cup Qualifier later this month. Though Afghanistan have earned a direct ticket for the global event, they will want to make a winning start to the series. Here is the preview.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota will host this duel on June 2. Spinners can be impactful here due to the slow nature of the pitch. Chasing teams have won 11 of the 23 ODIs played here as the average score in the first innings read 251. Live streaming of the contest will be available on the FanCode app and website (10:00am IST).

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have so far faced each other in seven ODIs. While the Lankan Lions have won four, Afghanistan have come out victorious on 2 occasions (NR:1). The two sides last met in the format in November 2022 as the series ended in a 1-1 tie. That series was Afghanistan's maiden and only ODI assignment on SL soil to date.

Afghanistan's ace spinner Rashid Khan will at least miss the first two ODIs due to a lower-back injury. As they have not played an ODI since the SL series last year, the visitors might be rusty. The Lankans have made some notable inclusions in the squad in the form of Dimuth Karunaratne and Dushmantha Chameera. Wanindu Hasaranga's form might be a worry for SL.

Sri Lanka (Probable XI): Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wicket-keeper), Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana. Afghanistan (Probable XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Since 2022, Pathum Nissanka has smothered 629 ODI runs at an average of 48.38. Rahmat Shah has garnered 616 runs at 51.33 in this period. Ibrahim Zadran boasts 431 runs at 71.83 in this regard. Chamika Karunaratne has returned with 18 wickets in 13 ODIs since 2022. Fazalhaq Farooqi has claimed 17 wickets in 10 ODIs at 18.39 in this period.

Fantasy XI (Option 1): Kusal Mendis (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angelo Mathews, Pathum Nissanka, Najibullah Zadran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Nabi (vice-captain), Dushmantha Chameera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Maheesh Theekshana, Noor Ahmad. Fantasy XI (Option 2): Kusal Mendis, Ibrahim Zadran, Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka (captain), Najibullah Zadran, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Maheesh Theekshana, Noor Ahmad (vice-captain).