A struggling Sri Lanka will be hoping to regain their touch as they launch their title defence against qualifiers Afghanistan in the World Twenty20 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
Though the contest may turn be a cake walk for Sri Lanka, the unpredictability of the format always keeps the critics guessing.
Afghanistan can take heart in the fact that Sri Lanka is struggling; they have been far from on top of their game. They went down 1-2 to India last month and then surrendered to Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. The islanders’ warm up games have not been promising, as they succumbed to both New Zealand and Pakistan in the warm-up games.
Will Lasith Malinga Deliver?
Adding to Sri Lanka’s concerns is veteran pacer Lasith Malinga. The team’s golden haired talisman has failed to live up to expectations in recent times and quit his post as captain just before the World T20. He is also nursing a knee injury and may not be available for the Afghanistan tie.
One cannot also deny the fact that Sri Lanka are yet to find suitable replacements for players like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who were instrumental in winning them the trophy in Bangladesh two years back.
The islanders’ strength lies in their batting and the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal would want to use the first six overs at the flat pitch in Eden to pile on the runs and the pressure.
If they are able to post a decent total, the Lankans have the bowling unit to defend it, even without Malinga.
Afghanistan’s Admirable Consistency
Afghanistan’s entry to the tournament is no fluke. They have battled hard each time in the qualifiers and have made it to every World T20 after 2010. The icing on the cake was when they made it to the 50-over World Cup in 2015, only two years after receiving the One-Day International status.
The Afghans remained unbeaten in the qualifiers leading up to the tournament and were able to put together some special performances.
They first beat Scotland, where their most trusted batsman Mohammad Shahzad struck a fluent 61. They easily skipped past Hong Kong’s challenge, where Shahzad was once again instrumental adding 41 to the scoreboard. In the last game an unscathed Afghanistan convincingly beat Zimbabwe by 59 runs to enter the main round.
All Eyes on the Captain
But how will the players who learnt their cricket in refugee camps, cope with the likes of Dushmanta Chameera clocking a massive 145 km/h constantly? They may not have all the answers yet, but all eyes will be on the likes of captain Asghar Stanikzai and Shahzad who have been excellent with the bat in recent weeks.
Besides, Afghanistan have quite a bowling line-up of their own. It might not be the best in the business, but it is capable enough to do what it is meant to.
Besides pacers Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran, a potential Afghan trump card could be 17-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who was the most successful bowler for his team. He has picked up six wickets in the qualifiers, and nine wickets in the last five contests.
This is the first time that the two sides are locking horns in a T20 International.
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