- Run OUT! Terrible mix-up between the batsman. Rajitha run out for 5. Sri Lanka all-out at 241 in 49.3 overs
- OUT! Matthews departs for 23. Sri Lanka 239/9 in 49 overs
- Wicket! A perfect yorker at middle stump and Theekshana misses his swipe. He departs for 29 of 31 deliveries. Sri Lanka 230/8 in 47 overs
- Sri Lanka reach the 200-run mark. Score reaches 202/7 in 43 overs
- RUN OUT! A direct hit at the non-striker end and the replay suggests Dushmantha Chameera is run out. He departs for 1 of 4. Sri lanka 187/7 in 40 overs
- OUT! Fazalhaq Farooqi strikes as Asalanka departs for 22. Sri Lanka 181/6 in 39 overs
- BOWLED! Rashid Khan strikes as he removes Dhananjaya de Silva for 14. Sri Lanka 167/5 in 36 overs. Angelo Matthews is the next batsman in
- OUT! Mujeeb strikes again as Samarawickrama departs for 36 of 39 balls. Sri Lanka 139/4 in 29.1 overs
- OUT! Mujeeb removes Skipper Kusal Mendis for 39. Charith Asalanka is the next batsman. Sri Lanka 134/3 in 28 overs
- 100-up for Sri Lanka! The batsmen are looking to build the innings patiently as middle overs have approached. Sri Lanka 106/2 after 22 overs
- OUT! Azmatullah strikes as Pathum Nissanka departs for 46. Sri Lanka 84/2 in 18 overs. Sadeera Samarawickrama is at number 4
- Sri lanka score 41/1 after 10 overs
- Fazalhaq gets the first breakthrough for Afghanistan as Dimuth Karunaratne departs for 15 of 21 balls. Sri Lanka 22/1 in 6 overs
- Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to field against Sri Lanka
- Noor Ahmad made way for Fazalhaq Farooqi in the Afghanistan playing XI
- Sri Lanka replaced Kusal Janith Perera and Lahiru Kumara with Dushmantha Chameera and Dimuth Karunaratne
Teams
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (wk/c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka.
Emboldened by back-to-back wins, a tenacious Sri Lanka will have to tide over the injury-enforced absence of lead pacer Lahiru Kumara when they face a spirited Afghanistan in a battle for survival in the World Cup here on Monday, reports PTI.
Kumara was ruled out of the World Cup on Sunday with a left thigh muscle injury which he suffered here during a training session.
Pacer Dushmantha Chameera has come in as his replacement. But the Lankans have shown a propensity to fight against odds.
With two wins from five matches, both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have kept alive their outside hopes of making it to the semifinals, provided they don't suffer any more hiccups and also other results go their way in the showpiece event.
However, only one team can emerge victorious from this contest, dashing the slim chances of the other.
After three successive defeats, Sri Lanka have revived some hopes with two convincing victories over Netherlands and England.
But they will take Afghanistan lightly at their own peril, knowing well that the Afghans are capable of punching above their weight.
Afghanistan have sent shock waves across the world with wins over England and Pakistan and will look to knock the wind out of the sails of Sri Lanka to continue their success story.
For the Islanders, some tight bowling, led by pacer Kumara, and fielding that saw them dismantling England in their last game. Kumara's absence will definitely be felt by the Lankans.
The return of experienced all-rounder Angelo Matthews has helped the bowling unit to ace the middle-overs and Sri Lanka will hope to continue the trend.
Sri Lanka have been guilty of conceding too many runs in that phase in the past and they will hope that pacer Chameera can make some effect.
He was part of Sri Lanka's travelling reserve before getting drafted into their main squad.
Dilshan Madushanka and Kusan Rajitha have taken 11 and 7 wickets so far in the event and will need to produce the goods.
Maheesh Theekshana, however, hasn't really set things on fire with his spin.
In batting, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama have emerged as two of their best ODI batters this year and the duo scripted a superlative chase to outwit England the other day.
Nissanka, with his fourth consecutive fifty of this tournament, and Samarawickrama with his second, have got the job done for the Lankans. Kusal Mendis too has scored a ton.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, are coming into the match after recording their highest successful chase in ODIs with a solid top-order display.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with 224 runs, has been their best batter but Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah have also come good in the last match and they will look to carry the confidence against the Lankans.
Azmatullah Omarzai too has a fifty to his name.
If Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi can get the Afghans early wickets then they have the quality in their spin rank with Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who have proved their worth so far, to take care of the rest.
The wicket at the MCA stadium is likely to be another belter and a 300-plus total should be on the cards.
Going by records, Afghanistan have won just thrice in 11 ODIs against Sri Lanka but never in the two meetings in the World Cup.
But two of those wins came in June this year and November last year at Hambantota and Pallekele respectively and Afghanistan will draw inspiration from that when they face the Lankans.