Afghanistan - Sri Lanka Predictions & Betting tips - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup

Prediction published on 28/10/2023, 09:00  by Devesh Jaganath

Match 30 of 48 in the 2023 Cricket World Cup will see Afghanistan taking on Sri Lanka on Monday morning. The Afghans are in seventh place in the current standings, while The Lions are fifth. While many had not given Afghanistan much of a chance in this competition, they have fared relatively well. They began their campaign with losses to Bangladesh and India but then secured surprising victories against England and Pakistan with another loss to New Zealand wedged between. The Afghans will now set their sights on an opponent that they have faced several times already this year. In this competition, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran stand as Afghanistan's top run-scorers. Gurbaz has amassed 224 runs, while Zadran has scored 173. Naveen-ul-Haq and spinner Rashid Khan have emerged as Afghanistan's leading wicket-takers, with both securing six wickets each. When these sides met in the warm-up matches, Afghanistan won by six wickets, but they are the underdogs in this one, according to the bookies. 

After enduring three successive defeats to South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia, Sri Lanka managed to bounce back by securing consecutive victories against the Netherlands and England. Those wins elevated Sri Lanka from the bottom of the points table to a position within the top six. It has also heightened their aspirations of securing a spot among the top four teams. The Lions have three batters who have each accumulated over 200 runs in the tournament. Leading the pack is Sadeera Samarawickrama, who has notched up 295 runs in five innings, maintaining an impressive average of 98.33. In the bowling department, Dilshan Madushanka has emerged as a standout performer. Throughout the tournament, he has claimed 11 wickets in five matches, including four wickets against the Netherlands and three against Australia. In their last five ODI encounters, Sri Lanka have secured four victories compared to Afghanistan's one. Can they make a late push for a top-four spot?