SL vs AFG Predicted Playing XI: Rashid Khan vs Wanindu Hasaranga, Battle of spin expected in Asia Cup 2022 opener

Sri Lanka cricket team will take on Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2022's first match on Saturday (August 27) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Lankan Lions will look begin their Asia Cup campaign with a positive victory over Afghanistan. Currently, Sri Lanka are world's 8th best T20I side as per the ICC T20 rankings and Afghanistan are are 10th. The Mohammad Nabi-led side faced a shocking series defeat against Ireland recently when they visited the country for a 5-match T20I series. Both sides have only met four times in ODI cricket and one time in T20I format, in which Sri Lanka have the match previously.

Afghanistan, under the leadership of the seasoned Mohmmad Nabi, will be looking to beat the higher-ranked teams, something they were unable to in the T20 World Cup here last year. Rashid Khan as usual will be their trump card with the ball and will be expecting the batters to step up.

Checkout SL vs AFG Asia Cup 2022 Match 1 - Predicted XI below:

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Kusal Mendis (wicketkeeper), Dasun Shanaka (captain), , Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando

Afghanistan: Rahmatullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan, Fareed Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Squads for Asia Cup 2022

SL: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Ashen Bandara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwanidu Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal.

AFG: Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Naveen ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari. Standby: Nijat Masood, Qais Ahmed, Sharafuddin Ashraf.