Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will clash in the very crucial game of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Monday, October 30. Both teams remain in the hunt for the semifinal spot with four points and will receive a big boost to their chances for the knockout qualification with two points at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Stadium (MCA).
With the tournament entering the crucial stages, the race for the semifinal heats up. Sri Lanka recorded a huge win against England in their last game to jump to fifth position in the points table. But the Island side continue to deal with injury blows with Lahiru Kumara getting ruled out with a calf issue.
On the other hand, Afghanistan recorded a historic win against rivals Pakistan in their last game. They are enjoying their best-ever World Cup campaign so far with two major wins against top quality opponents and will be looking for crucial two points on Monday.
MCA Stadium, Pune Pitch Report
The surface at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune has a balanced surface in white-ball cricket. Teams are enjoying high scores at this venue and fans can expect another high-scoring game on Monday. A dew is expected to play a role in the closing stages so captains will prefer bowling first.
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium Records and Stats
Total ODI Matches: 8
Matches won batting first: 4
Matches won bowling first: 4
Average first innings score: 300
Average second innings score: 278
Highest total scored: 356/7 by India vs England
Highest score chased: 356/7 by India vs England
Lowest total recorded: 232/10 by India vs England
Lowest total defended: 283/9 by West Indies vs India
Sri Lanka World Cup squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha
Afghanistan World Cup squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Rahman, Najibullah Zadran.