Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are scheduled to face each other on October 30 in the World Cup 2023 match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Afghanistan, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, have been giant killers in the tournament. They came into the tournament as underdogs, but have given themselves a great chance of advancing to the semi-finals. They beat England by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in India.
Rohit Sharma reacts to India’s off-day in the field vs New Zealand at Cricket World Cup 2023
The Afghans upped their game and defeated Pakistan by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored half-centuries to take Afghanistan past the finish line. It also happened to be Afghanistan’s maiden ODI win over Pakistan in the 50-over format.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, started their campaign with three losses on the trot at the hands of South Africa, Pakistan, and Australia. The Islanders opened their account after beating Scott Edwards’ Netherlands by five wickets at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Sri Lanka have faced quite a few injury concerns, before and during the tournament. Their skipper Dasun Shanaka was ruled out after which Matheesha Pathirana succumbed to injury. With the race heating up for the semis, Sri Lanka need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to advance to the next round.
Contents
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka head to head record
Afghanistan and Sri Lanka faced each other for the first time in ODIs in 2014 and since then, it has been quite a rivalry between the two teams.
| Matches Played | 11 |
| Afghanistan won | 3 |
| Sri Lanka won | 7 |
| Tie | 0 |
| No Result | 1 |
Sri Lanka are currently leading the head to head record against Afghanistan having won seven out of 10 matches while the latter side has emerged victorious on three occasions.
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka head to head ODI stats
Most runs
Ibrahim Zadran is the leading run-scorer in ODIs between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The right-handed batter has notched 459 runs from seven matches at an average of 65.57 and a strike-rate of 94.83 with two centuries and a top score of 162 to his name. Among the Sri Lankans, Pathum Nissanka is the top run-getter with 296 runs from seven matches at an average of 49.33 and a strike-rate of 88.35.
| Player Name | Runs |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 459 |
| Rahmat Shah | 349 |
| Pathum Nissanka | 296 |
| Kusal Mendis | 264 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 256 |
Highest Individual score
| Batter | Score |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 162 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 100 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 92 |
| Charith Asalanka (SL) | 91 |
| Pathum Nissanka (SL) | 85 |
Highest average (min. 3 innings)
| Batter | Average |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 65.57 |
| Charith Asalanka (SL) | 56.50 |
| Pathum Nissanka (SL) | 49.33 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 48.50 |
| Thisara Perera (SL) | 48.00 |
Most centuries
| Batter | Centuries |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 2 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 1 |
Most sixes
| Batter | Sixes |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 10 |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 8 |
| Charith Asalanka (SL) | 5 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 5 |
| Najibullah Zadran (AFG) | 5 |
Most wickets
Kasun Rajitha is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs between the two teams. He has picked up 13 wickets from six matches at an economy rate of 5.57 with a four-wicket haul to his name. Among the Afghans, Mohammad Nabi is the top wicket-taker with 11 scalps.
| Player Name | Wickets |
| Kasun Rajitha | 13 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 11 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 11 |
| Rashid Khan | 11 |
| Gulbadin Naib | 10 |
Best bowling figures
| Bowler | Figures |
| Thisara Perera (SL) | 5-55 |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 4-30 |
| Nuwan Pradeep (SL) | 4-31 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 4-37 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG) | 4-49 |
Best bowling average (Min 3 innings)
| Bowler | Average |
| Thisara Perera (SL) | 15.70 |
| Dushmantha Chameera (SL) | 17.71 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 17.90 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 18.54 |
| Gulbadin Naib (AFG) | 22.80 |
ODI Wicket-keeping records
Most dismissals (overall)
| Wicketkeeper | Dismissals |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 12 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 5 |
| Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) | 2 |
| Afsar Zazai (AFG) | 1 |
| Kusal Perera (SL) | 1 |
Most dismissals (single match)
| Wicket-keeper | Dismissal |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 3 (2 times) |
| Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) | 2 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 2 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 2 |
ODI fielding records
Most catches (overall)
| Fielder | Catches |
| Dhananjaya de Silva (SL) | 5 |
| Thisara Perera (SL) | 5 |
| Rahmat Shah (AFG) | 4 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (AFG) | 3 |
| Chamika Karunaratne (SL) | 3 |
Most catches (single match)
| Fielder | Catches |
| Rangana Herath (SL) | 2 |
| Jeevan Mendis (SL) | 2 |
| Nawroz Mangal (AFG) | 2 |
| Thisara Perera (SL) | 2 |
| Rahmat Shah (AFG) | 2 |
Individual ODI records
Most matches
| Player | Matches |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 11 |
| Najibullah Zadran (AFG) | 11 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva (SL) | 9 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi (SL) | 9 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) | 9 |
T20Is
| Matches Played | 5 |
| Afghanistan Women | 2 |
| Sri Lanka Won | 3 |
| Tie | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka head to head team records and stats
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka head to head player stats (T20I)
T20I batting records
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the leading run-scorer in T20Is between the two teams. In three matches, he has scored 152 runs at an average of 50.66 and a strike-rate of 174.71 with one fifty to his name. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is the leading run-scorer among the Sri Lankans, having notched 87 runs from three matches.
Most runs
| Batter | Runs |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 152 |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa (SL) | 87 |
| TM Dilshan (SL) | 83 |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 77 |
| Noor Ali Zadran (AFG) | 71 |
Highest Individual score
| Batter | Score |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 84 |
| TM Dilshan (SL) | 83 not out |
| Dhananjaya de Silva (SL) | 66 not out |
| Asghar Afghan (AFG) | 62 |
| Noor Ali Zadran (AFG) | 51 |
Highest average (min. 3 innings)
| Batter | Average |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 50.66 |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa (SL) | 29.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 25.66 |
| Najibullah Zadran (AFG) | 24.50 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 21.00 |
Most sixes
| Batter | Sixes |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 12 |
| Asghar Afghan (AFG) | 4 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 4 |
| TM Dilshan (SL) | 3 |
| Ashen Bandara (SL) | 2 |
T20I bowling records
Most wickets
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the leading wicket-taker with six wickets from three matches at an economy rate of 6.50. Among the Sri Lankan bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga is on top of the list. He has picked up four wickets from three games at an economy rate of five.
| Bowler | Wickets |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) | 6 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 4 |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 4 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 4 |
| Nuwan Thushara (SL) | 4 |
Best bowling figures
| Bowler | Figures |
| Nuwan Thusara (SL) | 4-17 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG) | 3-11 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (AFG) | 3-13 |
| Qais Ahmad (AFG) | 3-16 |
| Gulbadin Naib (AFG) | 3-28 |
Best bowling average (Min 3 innings)
| Bowler | Average |
| Karim Janat (AFG) | 7.00 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG) | 13.00 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (AFG) | 13.75 |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 22.25 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG) | 22.33 |
T20I Wicket-keeping records
Most dismissals (overall)
| Wicketkeeper | Dismissals |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 5 |
| Dinesh Chandimal (SL) | 2 |
| Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) | 1 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 1 |
Most dismissals (single match)
| Wicket-keeper | Dismissal |
| Dinesh Chandimal (SL) | 2 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 2 (2 times) |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG) | 1 |
| Kusal Mendis (SL) | 1 |
| Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) | 1 |
T20I fielding records
Most catches (overall)
| Fielder | Catches |
| Qais Ahmad (AFG) | 3 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (AFG) | 2 |
| Ravindu Fernando (SL) | 2 |
| Karim Janat (AFG) | 2 |
| Najibullah Zadran (AFG) | 2 |
Most catches (single match)
| Fielder | Catches |
| Qais Ahmad (AFG) | 3 |
| Dasun Shanaka (SL) | 2 |
| Ravindu Fernando (SL) | 2 |
| Shahidullah Kamal (AFG) | 2 |
| Dushmantha Chameera (SL) | 1 |
Individual T20I records
Most matches
| Player | Matches |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 4 |
| Najibullah Zadran (AFG) | 4 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 4 |
| Charith Asalanka (SL) | 3 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 3 |
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka: What happened in their last meeting?
Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by two runs when the two teams last met in an ODI back on September 5, 2023, in the Group B match of the Asia Cup 2023 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
After opting to bat first, Sri Lanka racked up a big score of 291 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs. Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne laid the platform with a partnership of 63 runs for the opening wicket off 10.2 overs.
Thereafter, Kusal Mendis stepped in and helped Sri Lanka almost go past the 300-run mark. Mendis scored 92 runs off 84 balls with six fours and three sixes. He also stitched together a partnership of 102 runs with Charith Asalanka, who scored 36 off 43 balls, for the fourth wicket.
After Mendis got out, Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana came to the party. The duo put on 64 runs for the eighth wicket. The left-handed Wellalage scored an unbeaten 33 while Theekshana got out after scoring 28 off 24 balls.
Chasing the big score, Afghanistan lost the early wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who both failed to get off the mark. Gulbadin Naib scored 22 runs before Matheesha Pathirana trapped him plumb in front.
Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 45 and 59 before getting out to Kasun Rajitha and Wellalage respectively. With the Afghans in all sort of trouble, Mohammad Nabi tried to pull off something spectacular.
Nabi threw his bat around to score 65 runs off 32 balls, but his efforts went in vain. Afghanistan were bowled out for 289 in 37.4 overs.
AFG vs SL last match scorecard
Sri Lanka
| Nissanka | C Najibullah b Gulbadin | 41 |
| Karunaratne | C Nabi b Gulbadin | 32 |
| Mendis | Run out (Rashid) | 92 |
| Samarawickrama | C Gurbaz b Gulbadin | 3 |
| Asalanka | C & b Rashid | 36 |
| De Silva | B Mujeeb | 14 |
| Shanaka | C & b Rashid | 5 |
| Wellalage | Not out | 33 |
| Theekshana | B Gulbadin | 28 |
| Extras | lb 1, w 6 | 7 |
| Total | 50 overs | 291/8 |
Afghanistan
| Gurbaz | C Mendis b Rajitha | 4 |
| Ibrahim | B Rajitha | 7 |
| Gulbadin | Lbw Pathirana | 22 |
| Rahmat | C Pathirana b Rajitha | 45 |
| Shahidi | C Rajitha b Wellalage | 59 |
| Nabi | C de Silva b Theekshana | 65 |
| Janat | C Karunaratne b Wellalage | 22 |
| Najibullah | C sub (Hemantha) b Rajitha | 23 |
| Rashid | Not out | 27 |
| Mujeeb | C Samarawickrama b de Silva | 0 |
| Extras | w 10, lb 5 | 15 |
| Total | 37.4 overs | 289 |
